ALUMNI YEARBOOK 20I7 YEARBOOK ALUMNI TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: &INNOVATION: AHEADSTAYING

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMEN

Mahmood Lone and Boyan Wells – Co-Chairmen, Alumni Network

Technology and innovation are the themes of this edition of our yearbook and permeate many of our articles. But we’re a network of people, so you’ll also find many stories celebrating the successes of fellow alumni around the world.

ALLENOVERY.COM/ALUMNIYEARBOOK TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD WELCOME

Welcome to your 2017 Alumni Yearbook A&O colleagues who haven’t yet joined the Alumni Network, or if you have suggestions This year we’ve seen the pace of technological change accelerate and the profound for future alumni activities, please contact us at [email protected]. impact it’s had on every sector, including the legal industry. To explore this further, We also conducted our alumni survey in early 2017. Thank you to everyone we’ve made technology and innovation the theme of this, the 12th edition of the who took part. Your feedback on what we do well and how we can improve is Alumni Yearbook. In its pages you can read about how Allen & Overy is responding invaluable in helping us shape the future of the network. The results were very to these changes and embracing technological advances. For example through Fuse, positive and an important reminder that the collegiate nature of A&O is crucial A&O’s new tech innovation space in London, tech companies, our own team of in what we do. Most respondents for example, cited the people with whom they lawyers and A&O’s clients collaborate to explore, develop and test legal, regulatory worked as the high point of their time at A&O, while more than half of respondents and deal-related solutions using new technologies. meet up with former A&O colleagues more than twice a year. In addition, more Technology is crucial to the growth plans of our office in Belfast and our global than 90% of respondents said they felt a sense of goodwill towards the firm. Litigation practice, and both are featured in this edition. We also hear from two of We hope our Alumni Network activities and events go some way towards helping our alumni who have forged successful careers in new tech companies, and two you maintain these relationships and allow you to build your own professional network others who published books in 2017, drawing on their personal interest in the future within the A&O and alumni community. of science and technology. Finally, we are delighted that the 2016 Alumni Yearbook received an ‘Award Additionally, you’ll find articles on War Child and Justice Without Borders, of Excellence’ at the Institute of Internal Communications Awards 2017. This was two charities A&O is supporting. very much down to the hard work and ingenuity of Stella Ekkeshis, Jenny Enever and Pauline McFerran who, together now with Jo, make up our team. We are A year of growth very grateful for all their efforts in helping us continue to grow and develop It’s been another busy year for the Alumni Network. The network continues to grow – our Alumni Network. membership passed 10,000 earlier this year – and we are also delighted to welcome We hope you enjoy this year’s edition of the yearbook, and look forward to an Jo Hughes to our team. Jo will be focusing on liaising with our Client Relationship exciting 2018 for the Alumni Network. Management team and bespoke events. Many of you attended the Global Alumni Reunion, our biggest yet with more With best wishes than 1,400 attendees in 13 locations around the world. We’ve also held a number Mahmood and Boyan of class reunions, bringing together trainee groups 15 or 20 years from when they Co-Chairmen, Alumni Network started at A&O. We want to build on these successes, so if you know of any former

A&O’s Alumni team

Stella Ekkeshis Jenny Enever Alumni Manager Alumni Manager

Joanna Hughes Pauline McFerran Alumni Manager Senior Alumni and Communications Assistant

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 01 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD Technology is transforming our lives. It supports us increasingly in everything we do. It encourages and enables innovation in ways scarcely imaginable a few short years ago, inspiring ever-greater creativity in what we do and how we do it.

A&O is a global leader in its embrace of technology in the legal sector. In doing so, the firm is at the forefront of the change evident in the wider corporate landscape as automation, connectivity and ‘intelligent’ systems become the new norm. This year’s Alumni Yearbook offers insights into some of the exciting things the firm is doing to harness the potential of technology for clients’ benefit. It also highlights the achievements of A&O alumni who are using technology in commercial, humanitarian and even literary pursuits.

04 NATHANIEL MANGUNSONG In the thick of things at one of WIM & ANDREW Indonesia’s most exciting A&O’s year has been newsworthy, if less tech start-ups. dramatic than events unfolding around us. 18

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FUSE Success depends on nurturing a true spirit of collaboration.

02 CONTENTS

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GLOBAL LITIGATION Aiming high with plans to consolidate our Litigation practice into a market leader. 38

SPOTLIGHT ON BELFAST… 22 A&O’s Belfast office has made its mark on the firm and how it serves clients. VEENAY SHAH Insights into how technology is changing the way we practise law.

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ABI SILVER & SHANKARI CHANDRAN The plots thicken as alumnae authors publish tech-driven books. 44

RESCUING CHILDHOOD Working to improve the life chances of Syrian refugee children.

50 ALUMNI NETWORK BENEFITS 48 52 IN MEMORIAM TECHNOLOGY TAKES LEGAL AID GLOBAL 54 INDEX/CREDITS Using technology to provide access to legal aid for victims of trafficking and labour exploitation. 56 STAY CONNECTED

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 03 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

INTERVIEW WITH WIM DEJONGHE

In the year since Andrew Ballheimer became A&O’s Managing Partner and Wim Dejonghe moved up to be Senior Partner, the word ‘Brexit’ became an ever-present part of the UK’s news cycle, Donald Trump moved into the White House and Apple launched two new iPhones. It’s been a similarly newsworthy, if less dramatic year at A&O.

04 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD INTERVIEW WITH WIM AND ANDREW

ANDREW BALLHEIMER

You’ve been in your leadership roles for 18 months now. How has it been Wim: I would agree with that. You’re never off duty. In terms of uncertainty, and was it as expected? it’s reminded me of my first year as Managing Partner when we had the global Andrew: I have to say, it’s not been at all as I expected. I had been co-head of the financial crisis. Corporate practice for more than six years, and I assumed it was like that, but bigger, but of course it isn’t. There’s a consistent intensity with this job. In the past there might Andrew: It’s a volatile, uncertain world. We’ve done extremely well but, as a business, have been peaks and troughs, but this job is relentless – but in a good way! we can sometimes feel insecure. I feel we need to take a breath and realise that we’re We operate in a competitive environment where there is also pressure to perform. actually situated very strongly in the legal market. Inevitably this includes ensuring that our bottom line is at least as good as our peers’, if not better. There are myriad decisions to make every day. And it’s all against a backdrop of incredible change, with Trump, Brexit and a volatile market.

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Following on from that, A&O has had a record year in terms of profits (up 27%). What do you attribute this to and how do you plan to continue this success? Wim: It’s been an interesting year. Brexit really increased anxiety. Within that uncertain environment, we’ve outperformed the market and the nervousness has calmed down a bit. We’ve had to concentrate on keeping calm and being on top of what the business is doing. The stellar performance across the board has brought confidence into every practice area. “We don’t take our position for granted,

Andrew: Yes, this time last year we were saying, “Our model is a hedged business. but I think if you stick to those core Yes, the future’s uncertain, but we are diversified and well hedged. Stay close to our qualities – being collaborative, staying clients and our firm will be successful.” People hoped it was true, and a year on, that’s close to clients and maintaining a hedged been proven to be the case. It really is a well hedged and resilient business with fantastic people. business model – you can go a long way.”

Wim: We stay close to the clients, maintain the highest standards of quality and service, and challenge ourselves on the way we provide those services, such as through Advanced Delivery, which includes the Legal Services Centre (LSC) in Belfast, Peerpoint and aosphere. We don’t take our position for granted, but I think if you stick to those core qualities – being collaborative, staying close to clients and maintaining a hedged business model – you can go a long way.

What sets us apart from our peers? Andrew: It’s really the breadth of the offering across our product range in Corporate, Litigation, Banking and Capital Markets, and the fact that we are equally strong across all those areas. Our network is also much more extensive than those of our peers.

Wim: The big trick, though, is that our 44 offices are fully integrated. The clients see us operating as one team. It’s easy to build 100 offices if they all work independently, but that is just not a compelling proposition – our integration really makes us stand out.

How do you manage that level of integration? Wim: It’s our culture and the fact that we bring people together in a single partnership with one profit pool. There are no ‘local’ partners – it’s lockstep across the world. If the Hungary office does well, we all do well.

Andrew: It’s also how you hire people. There’s a strong focus on people with a consistency of approach in terms of ambition, drive and values. It’s hardwired into the A&O DNA and it’s critical.

Wim: We never compromise on quality. We’ve just been asked, “Would you set up a local law office in China?”. We are open-minded about it, but only if we find people of the same quality as the rest of the partnership. If not, it could take years before we have a local law office there.

06 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD INTERVIEW WITH WIM AND ANDREW

In what areas do you see an opportunity for major growth or gaining greater market share? Andrew: In the U.S. we have around 220 lawyers now and we probably need to have around 500-600 as a minimum to be a major player in the domestic U.S. market, which would be a big opportunity. Our clients have operations all over the world and the international law of choice for commercial activity is either English or New York law. We therefore need to have an equally broad capability in both jurisdictions.

Wim: We’ve been expanding in the U.S. in the last 15 months, from 42 to 50 partners. We’ll continue to do that.

What are your greatest threats and challenges at the moment? Andrew: As far as threats are concerned, the U.S. firms are hiring aggressively at the moment, in particular for both UK and U.S. lawyers. Talent retention is therefore a big issue for us. This is a people business, and you want the brightest and the best. People do leave, mainly for lifestyle reasons these days. Some come back, but only a few at the moment.

Wim: That’s why we introduced Peerpoint. We’d love people to come back so we offer them flexible working. It needs to work for them. Another threat comes from the new entrants to the market, in particular the Big Four accountancy firms. To make sure we stay ahead of them, we need to engage with technology and big data. Our best defence is to do everything better than they do.

What are your impressions of the Brexit process so far and what kinds of work has A&O won? Andrew: We’ve been doing lots of advisory work for clients, particularly banking clients, insurers and corporates, helping them with ‘scenario planning’, should they decide they have to move.

Wim: There are also examples of new work, such as fund formation in Luxembourg, but the big volume of work will come on corporate restructurings, if businesses start moving. executive at the same time. We’re now streamlining our business units and support Can you tell us why A&O launched Fuse and what you hope it will achieve? services, reducing management time and globalising finance functions, HR etc. Wim: We wanted to introduce clients, tech start-up companies and lawyers to each other, to help them all share information collaboratively. The tech companies have the A&O is a partnership which means each partner is an owner and technology, but it may not be what the client wants or needs so we bring them face not an employee. In view of the size of the firm, how do you see the to face to have those conversations directly. importance of a partnership ethos? Allied to this, what is done for younger partners particularly to feel real owners and thus encourage Andrew: They spark off each other. That’s how you influence each other. That’s how collegiality and loyalty? the best ideas will germinate and changes will happen. Andrew: It’s critical that partners feel they’re owners of the business; that they’re both accountable and responsible but, most importantly, empowered in terms of going out Can you comment on A&O’s recent governance review and being an entrepreneur and running the business as best they can. and the new Executive Committee? For younger partners, it is very important that they have a voice through having Andrew: Basically, it involves the creation of an Executive Committee at the heart of an equal vote from day one of partnership. We support them in being successful the firm which will essentially act as a management board and includes representations as partners through coaching and targeted development programmes which also from the major practice groups and geographies. It is separate from the Partnership encourages strong bonds to develop between partners. I believe that our collegiate Board, which will be the conscience of the firm and have a supervisory role. culture means that our more experienced partners look for opportunities to help new partners be successful in their early years as a partner. Wim: We started to think about how we ran the business and took a fresh look at the partnership deed. We realised that it provided for an Executive Committee which was never installed and which meant that the Partnership Board had to be supervisory and

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 07 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

There is increasing movement by partners from firm to firm. What does A&O gain by being a lockstep? Wim: Having one lockstep across the world helps build a collaborative culture. It helps bring people together in a single partnership.

Andrew: It creates a sense of long-term, two-way commitment to sharing in the success of the collective contribution of all our partners.

Can you tell us about the success you’ve seen with Advanced Delivery? Wim: If you added together all the revenues from Advanced Delivery, it would be our fifth largest office. And there’s more to come. Take aosphere, for example, which offers online legal risk management products. It’s a subscription service for clients, who may have got rid of teams that would previously have maintained the content covered by those products. For what is a small annual fee for them, they have a service which is always up to date and is very high quality.

Andrew: There are now 12,000 individuals using aosphere, and the attrition rate from subscriptions is around 1%. It’s a superb business model, and there are so many more products we can provide.

Where do you see the direction of travel for aosphere? Wim: In all areas of our practice, there is an increased client expectation around the use of technology to deliver cost-effective legal service, and we are more than happy to meet that expectation. We are always looking proactively for new ideas to meet the challenges our clients face, rather than reacting when they come to us with a problem. It sets us apart.

Andrew: The aosphere team has also led the way in agile working. They’re based in locations ranging from London to New York, Belfast and Dubai and using technology such as FaceTime and virtual whiteboards to maintain good communication and collaboration. It works for everybody and we can definitely do more.

Wim Dejonghe Senior Partner What skills will future lawyers need? A&O: 2001-present Andrew: Technology skills.

Wim: Coding. In the next ten years, the lawyer who knows how to code will rule. In the Finance space, re-papering of contracts is all about coding. The winners will be the lawyers Andrew Ballheimer who understand how to code to do all the transfers and changes to the agreements. Global Managing Partner A&O: 1987-present Andrew: Ninety-four per cent of our graduates have a law or humanities background in the UK. That’s staggering. That has to change in the future.

What are your thoughts on agile working? Could this affect our office space in the future? Wim: We need to evolve from an employer/employee relationship to having a platform where people can work in whatever way suits them best. We need to develop a menu of employment options, rather than having a one-dimensional relationship with our employees.

Andrew: People do need face-to-face contact though – it’s the way to get the best out of people. Using technology to help people have the lifestyle they want should work together with the fact that we encourage people to travel regularly to meet each other.

08 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD INTERVIEW WITH WIM AND ANDREW

How has Peerpoint and programmes such as ‘I’m Back’ helped people who want to have more control over their time, or who may have taken time out and want to return to the law? Wim: Of the lawyers we lose, many leave for lifestyle reasons, and it’s a real tragedy. It’s a loss to us and to them. There’s a tremendous opportunity for both of us here.

Andrew: ‘I’m Back’ provides a route back to the workplace for those who have been on a career break. We encourage people to do this return-to-work programme, which is now in its second year, as a way to refresh their technical and core skills and to gain on “It’s critical that partners feel as though the job experience by working within our practice groups. At the end of the programme, they’re owners of the business; that they’re we help them find the opportunities that suit them, including working for Peerpoint as a consultant. both accountable and responsible but, most importantly, empowered in terms of going What else is A&O doing to attract/retain its best talent? out and being an entrepreneur and running Andrew: There is not one single answer to that. It’s having a competitive overall package – the best work, the best support, our culture and the best environment. the business as best they can.”

Wim: Yes, with the best people to work with. We also aim to invest in our employees’ personal development and give them training in legal and non-legal skills. We provide exciting opportunities if they want to work internationally and we support agile working, if that is what they want. There’s a competitive package in terms of salaries and benefits, but that probably comes lower down the list for our staff, typically.

Andrew: We’ve had more than 200 alumni returning to us in the past two years, but we want more, and we’re working hard to make that happen.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 09 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

A FUSION OF IDEAS

After an exhaustive selection process, we have opened the doors to Fuse, our new tech innovation space, with eight diverse start-ups forming the first cohort of companies to work with A&O and with clients on promising technologies and solutions.

10 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD A FUSION OF IDEAS

On your next visit to the Bishops Square office, you might Fuse opened its doors on 7 September, welcoming eight incorporate the advances made by tech companies with notice a subtle change. hand-picked tech companies covering diverse areas of compelling new ideas. One corner of the building – sitting on the borders the legal market and deploying a range of technologies Many have come to the conclusion that the best of Shoreditch and the City of London – has been including data analytics, work flow management way to deal with disruption is to embrace it, and, to get a transformed into an exciting and vibrant workspace systems and verification tools, blockchain and Artificial head start, an increasing number are investing in start- dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to help Intelligence (AI). ups or launching incubators or accelerator programmes us work in smarter, faster and more efficient ways with They will be with us until January 2018, when they to forge a relationship with companies working with our clients. make way for a new cohort of companies. these technologies. Over the summer, a warren of corridors and small Jonathan Brayne, chairman of Fuse, explains why offices at One Bishops Square were remodelled. Walls the project is so important to the firm: “We know that the Brave new world were knocked down to create a largely open-plan way we and our clients work is going to be transformed As we devised our own strategy we decided to take a space with private meeting rooms for more confidential significantly by new technologies and that these slightly different approach. Shruti Ajitsaria, who heads conversations. New lighting, furniture and hot desk technologies will open a wide range of opportunities for Fuse and runs it day to day with the help of a full-time work stations were installed and windows opened up to us in the years ahead. assistant and a host of A&O volunteers, explains. give a view out on to the often teeming streets around “But we realised early on that we really didn’t have “It struck us that if we were to create solutions Spitalfields market. a good enough handle on what those technologies and that were really relevant to the firm and to our clients, it Welcome to Fuse, A&O’s new tech innovation space. opportunities might be. would make sense to build a space where we could all It’s here that selected tech companies will be “By inviting these carefully selected companies, come together – A&O, our clients and tech companies working with our own technology experts and lawyers, and the entrepreneurs behind them, to come into the – to pool our thinking, all learning from one another and and with clients too. innovation space, we have given ourselves a window collaborating closely,” says Shruti. The task: to create relevant solutions in the closely on an important world, one that would not have been “In that sense, Fuse is very much in line with inter-related worlds of legaltech (helping in-house available to us without a set-up like Fuse.” the firm’s approach to the advanced delivery of legal lawyers and law firms to operate more efficiently It’s a dilemma faced by companies across sectors. services, with a real focus on working hand in hand with and cost-effectively), regtech (supporting businesses From banks to airlines, carmakers to retailers, many our clients to find smarter, more cost-effective ways of in complying with law and regulation) and dealtech are trying to come to terms with the challenges posed by delivering our services.” (developing new ways for businesses to negotiate and disruptive technologies that are forcing them to rethink The Fuse model was arrived at gradually as different transact with each other). their business models in fundamental ways in order to people approached Jonathan with ideas.

Fuse opened its doors on 7 September, welcoming eight hand-picked tech companies covering diverse areas of the legal market and deploying a range of technologies including data analytics, work flow management systems and verification tools, blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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“Although we are primarily investing time and effort rather than money, that’s the secret behind any kind of tech investing. You have to be bold and be open to the fact that there are likely to be both successes and failures along the way.”

Shruti, a counsel in our International Capital Markets (ICM) The panel, which included J.P. Morgan’s Oli Harris, Entrepreneurs-in-residence practice, had herself put together a proposal for an A&O Funding Circle’s Robert Kerrigan (himself an A&O Before the final decision was made, one other company fintech accelerator while attending a three-month start-up Alumnus), Amazon’s Alex Wong and Balderton Capital’s had already been invited to join Fuse. course at Google campus while on maternity leave. Sam Myers, then gathered for a day in July to hear the Quite separately, Nivaura – a fintech start-up Further impetus for starting work on the project shortlisted companies pitch their ideas. developing a cloud-based service to help small and came when senior partner Wim Dejonghe learned from But the strongest voice on the selection panel, says medium sized companies access the capital markets in a client how life science companies had set up similar Shruti, came from the A&O sponsors selected to work an affordable way – had already formed a strong working environments to work collaboratively with start-ups to closely with the individual companies, to help them set relationship with A&O. develop drugs, treatments and medical devices. and achieve bespoke milestones and make connections We’ve helped it refine its system as it carries out Wim also invited Richard Susskind, an advisor to within the firm and with clients. ‘sandbox’ testing with the Financial Conduct Authority to A&O who has written extensively on the future of the One A&O sponsor, London partner David Campbell, gain regulatory approval. We’ve also made a small equity legal profession, to help develop a proposal. is working with Legatics in the first Fuse cohort. investment in the business and ICM partner Phil Smith The concepts from these sources were blended “I’ve been working with Legatics for a while, but has agreed to join the Nivaura board. together to create the tech innovation space – the being part of the selection panel and having them on site It seemed logical to involve Nivaura in Fuse and the product of a true fusion of ideas. in Fuse has made a huge difference to the way we work team was invited to become Fuse’s ‘entrepreneurs-in- But this is still a brave new world, with many of together,” he says. residence’, helping and guiding our other chosen tech the start-ups addressing these technologies at the very “It makes it much easier for me to meet them. companies by sharing advice and business experience earliest stages of development, often pre-profit and even I’ve been able to introduce them to clients and to while continuing to develop its own platform. pre-revenue, their ideas at the concept or prototype stage. other partners, and they can easily get together with Nivaura, says Jonathan, is a perfect example of the So where to start the process of identifying which other lawyers and A&O’s IT team to help develop their power of collaboration between tech company, law firm start-ups and technologies had real promise? product – and of course all of this helps A&O at the and client,” he says. The team decided to open an application process same time.” “Within the realm of dealtech, they’re creating for companies interested in joining Fuse but, with Jonathan says it was important to rely on a wide an end-to-end solution using a range of technologies relatively little background information, the exercise was range of advice in making our final selections. “The including blockchain, AI, machine learning and smart something of a stab in the dark, admits Shruti. truth is, it’s very hard in a short period and with limited contracts. “We had no idea what to expect in terms of a response contact time to really understand the technologies “The platform is potentially highly disruptive yet to our search for potential participants,” she says. “But these 84 companies are employing. In that sense, it’s sits comfortably alongside our approach to working with when we opened our application process in May 2017, the very different to doing a more traditional commercial clients in new and cost-efficient ways. response was tremendous, with a total of 84 businesses partnership where you can rely on an intensive process “Our growing relationship with Nivaura and eventually asking to join the first Fuse cohort.” of due diligence and market analysis,” he says. other tech companies allows us to have a new kind of In that sense, Fuse had already delivered a significant “Here we had to put our faith in the collective conversation about technology with clients. It’s a great benefit to the firm, allowing it to draw its own picture of wisdom of the people we put together on our selection example of the sort of doors that Fuse can open and the how new technologies might blend with the day-to-day panel and to be honest with ourselves and realise that sort of competitive advantage it could create for us.” work of A&O lawyers and the fantastic developments we might get some calls right, others not. Shruti agrees. “The selection process has been being done in-house by our own tech experts. “Although we are primarily investing time and effort really fascinating,” she says, “allowing us to map for Obviously anxious to get the selection right, Jonathan rather than money, that’s the secret behind any kind of ourselves where some of these important technologies and Shruti pulled together a panel of external experts tech investing. You have to be bold and open to the fact are going and where they may take us as a firm. It’s been and A&O sponsors to help them whittle the number of that there are likely to be both successes and failures fantastically exciting to welcome the companies into potential participants down to a more manageable nine. along the way.” Fuse and to get the project under way.”

12 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD A FUSION OF IDEAS

Shruti Ajitsaria Counsel and Head of Fuse

THE FIRST FUSE COHORT

The eight companies selected to join Fuse cover a broad sweep of the legal market, deploying a full suite of technologies in useful and potentially highly rewarding ways.

It was inevitable, with the broad scope of the application process we put together, that the 84 companies that applied online to join the first Fuse cohort would be diverse. In the end we drew interest from companies at very different stages of development, using very different types of technology and with very different target markets in mind. That diversity is evident in the eight companies that made it through to the final selection list, ranging from a company using an innovative contract creation, workflow and data analytics tool, to a provider of regulatory risk intelligence and a social enterprise helping asylum seekers around the world gain access to pro bono legal advice. Some of the companies already have clients using their systems; others are still at the concept or prototype phase. Many of them are anxious to test their ideas in a real working context; others are looking for marketing and business development support. All are looking to build important links with A&O lawyers and our clients and all have, in different ways, found the Fuse experience to be positive.

“In the end we drew interest from companies at very different stages of development, using very different types of technology and with very different target markets in mind.”

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The eight companies finally selected are:

Avvoka An end-to-end digital platform, operating under the tagline ‘Contracts made simple’, allowing legal and commercial teams to create, live negotiate and analyse B2B contracts. Co-founded in 2015 by former City of London lawyers Eliot Benzecrit and David Howorth, who first met on an A&O vacation scheme, the platform makes use of a contract creation, workflow and data analytics tool. The company monitors negotiation patterns, clause variations and commercial terms across contract portfolios to speed and inform decision making. “We’re delighted to be part of Fuse,” says Eliot. “It’s a great opportunity to help guide the product with tech- Nivaura forward lawyers in a collaborative space that takes legal A fintech start-up using a full suite of technologies, advancement seriously.” including blockchain, smart contracts, machine learning and AI, to create an integrated platform for small and medium sized enterprises to access the capital markets in an affordable way. Led by CEO Avtar Sehra and COO Vic Arulchandran, Corlytics the company is in the second phase of testing its A regulatory risk intelligence business set up in 2013, providing clients technology within the Financial Conduct Authority’s with detailed risk information and data using forensic analysis and a regulatory ‘sandbox’ and says the relationship with A&O system to forecast fines and sentencing patterns globally. is proving very fruitful. Corlytics Solutions helps global banks, regulators and other “Innovating through vertical integration is financial services players identify, manage and mitigate financial risk. challenging in any industry, but even more so in the “A&O has proven itself to be at the forefront of the legal and regtech capital markets, where there are significant financial, revolution,” says Mike O’Keeffe, general manager of Corlytics Solutions. technical, regulatory and legal complexities,” says Avtar. “We think we have a unique opportunity to create combined offerings “Working with A&O has made managing this easier, for our respective clients and we are very excited to be part of Fuse. not only due to the A&O team’s understanding of each “Two weeks into the programme, we had already benefited from part of the system but also how the different elements being involved with Fuse. The A&O team put an excellent induction in interact. Being part of the Fuse programme enables us to place and we had already had a series of excellent meetings, opening work very closely with experts from every area of A&O to doors and creating contacts and new business opportunities for us.” push the boundaries of our product.”

14 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD A FUSION OF IDEAS iManage Ithaca Previously known as RAVN, iManage is now an Launched at a time when the world is experiencing the independent software company, developing natural worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, Ithaca language processing and machine learning technology to is a charitable, social enterprise that aims to develop organise, discover and summarise complex documents. an online platform, accessible by mobile phone, to help The cognitive computing solutions it offers aim to asylum seekers around the world track down pro bono transform the way organisations exploit their knowledge legal representation and advice. and information. Ithaca’s Joe May describes the first days of being Robert Florendine of iManage says: “For us, Fuse is involved with Fuse as “incredible”, and has been an opportunity to work even more closely with A&O and delighted to find that Ithaca’s values closely match up instantly explore new uses and ideas for our platform. with those of the A&O pro bono team and the firm as “There’s also a great opportunity to build new a whole. and hopefully long-lasting relationships with our fellow “All of the team from A&O have being incredibly Fusers and to learn from each other. The space that A&O supportive and are full of fantastic creative ideas on how has created has all the elements needed to make these to move Ithaca forward,” he says. things possible.” “Our primary aim while we are here is to lift Ithaca off the ground and we hope to achieve a working product that can be used to support numerous individuals in desperate need of legal support.” Vable A creator of content aggregation, automation and intelligence software, CEO Matthew Dickinson founded the firm in 2004 after devising a newsletter solution for law firms. He went on to develop this initial offering into a broad and sophisticated platform for managing all kinds of legal information and library resources. Matthew says Fuse offers a fantastic chance to work with A&O’s information specialists, technologists and lawyers as well as with key clients. “It gives us an opportunity to create a solution which we believe is going to be a game changer,” he says. “The community aspect of Fuse is also very attractive – being in the same space as other tech companies looking to make a big difference.”

Opus 2 International Legatics The latest innovation founded by entrepreneur A company turning paper and email legal processes Graham Smith-Bernal, who previously developed into simple and innovative software, helping law firms the groundbreaking LiveNote software subsequently make efficiency gains by rethinking everyday legal acquired by Thomson Reuters. work patterns. Its processes are now built into a single Originally a developer of litigation and transcript integrated deal platform, called Legatics River. management software, the company is now developing a Daniel Porus, head of business development at tool to support lawyers tasked with verifying prospectuses. Legatics, says Fuse offers the company the chance Opus 2’s Josh Kirk says: “We joined Fuse to develop to work closely with A&O lawyers and clients to refine our tool for the verification process and we’re hoping to its software. get valuable feedback from A&O’s lawyers and clients to “The environment here at Fuse is perfectly suited help us shape this tool and bring it to market. for the collaborative meetings we have had with A&O “It’s been a fantastic experience so far and what we’re clients and industry experts,” he says. “We’ve also learning is helping to inform our development process. benefited greatly from sharing experiences with the We’re excited to see what the next few months bring.” other participants.”

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 15 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

GETTING DOWN TO Jonathan Brayne Chairman, Fuse and aosphere WORK

The success of Fuse will depend on our ability to bring together our own experts and lawyers, the tech companies and, crucially, our clients in a true and productive spirit of collaboration.

All the months of careful preparation meant that Fuse was, appropriately enough, ready to begin with a bang when the doors opened on Thursday 7 September. After a one-day induction session giving the companies a chance to meet each other, the A&O team and many people from across the firm, the first full week began with the cohort being thrown into two days of mentoring. This involved both A&O volunteers and 19 external experts covering a range of specialisms from tech innovation through to venture capital financing, stakeholder engagement, organisational design and change management.

16 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD A FUSION OF IDEAS

“What’s so great about Fuse is that it can really inspire A&O people to think in new and creative ways about technology. The space is here, the door is open and the companies are only too willing to make contact and talk through ideas.”

Among those external experts were J.P. Morgan’s Daniel Drummer, Yinan Zhu of Gingko Tree Investment, digital which gives people across the firm a forum to suggest strategy and financing experts from the consultancy new ways of using technology in our everyday work. firms PwC, EY and Deloitte, representatives of Barclays Jonathan was introduced to the iManage team and and RBS, and venture investor Margaret Perchik, who within minutes they were able to demonstrate how such flew over from Amsterdam to join the programme, having a system might work. Jonathan Brayne Chairman, Fuse and aosphere heard Shruti pitch a tech innovation space proposal “That’s what a typical day in Fuse will be like, A&O: 1978-present during her time at the Google Campus. I think,” says Shruti. “It will be full of moments just like All the companies had 20 minutes with each of the that, with people from within A&O and from our clients mentors and contacts with them will be maintained and dropping in and tapping these companies on the shoulder built upon during the five months the companies are and making important connections. working within Fuse – and beyond. “What’s so great about Fuse is that it can really As the first cohort will end their time in Fuse in inspire A&O people to think in new and creative ways January 2018, there is a strong incentive to make the about technology. The space is here, the door is open Shruti Ajitsaria most of the opportunity quickly. and the companies are only too willing to make contact Counsel and Head of Fuse That has happened. Even in the very early days, and talk through ideas,” she says. A&O: 2002-present important contacts with clients were being made – the “Ultimately it’s our lawyers who will know better sort of invaluable connections the companies will need than anyone how some of these technologies might as they refine their ideas and try to put them to the test in transform their work and what kind of solutions our working environments. clients are looking for. They are just the sort of contacts One financial institution, for instance, in the first these companies need and it goes both ways.” “Between those two ends of the spectrum, there are, week had had several meetings with one of our chosen conceivably, all sorts of ways our clients might get companies about launching a joint pilot project, and Thinking ahead involved,” he says. there have been many clients getting in touch to find Of course, Fuse is not a static programme, nor is it a “But the crucial point is that Fuse has really put us out how the Fuse project is progressing or to express one-off. The process of preparing for the cohorts to in the flow of these new technologies and is giving us a a specific interest in working with our companies on follow is ongoing. real understanding of how they are likely to change the particular solutions. And that’s giving the team the chance to think about way we work. Shruti has been delighted by the phenomenal level how this spirit of collaboration between A&O, the tech “The knowledge we are gaining through Fuse of engagement from people within A&O, with many start-ups and clients can be deepened and made even should spread throughout A&O – there are signs already lawyers and staff popping down to the Fuse space to more productive. And, as Jonathan explains, the ways of that this is beginning to happen. And when it does, it meet and talk through ideas with the companies – just doing that are varied. means we will be equipped to engage with clients much the sort of vibrant collaboration she and Jonathan had At times A&O will hope to match a technology and better in situations where technology can be part of always hoped to create. a provider directly to a challenge being faced by an the solution to the challenges they face. That’s a truly She gives a great example. Jonathan Jackson, individual client, he says. In later cohorts, the approach exciting prospect.” executive advisor to Wim Dejonghe, dropped in to ask if it may be to target issues common to a number of clients would be possible to develop a system for identifying key in the same sector and then to invite tech companies to partners with expertise in certain technologies. It was join the programme that can propose a solution – or even Find out more: an idea he had first raised through A&O’s i2 platform, part of a solution – to that challenge. allenovery.com/advanceddelivery/Fuse

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 17 18 NATHANIEL MANGUNSONG

SMALL WORLD, ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES

A&O training and connections are helping alumnus Nathaniel Mangunsong handle the challenges of heading the legal department at one of Indonesia’s fastest-growing tech companies.

Nathaniel Mangunsong appears to like start-up situations. The company’s offering evolved at an equally impressive pace as it gradually added He was one of the first lawyers to join Ginting & Reksodiputro, A&O’s associated new services to the original business, which was a ride-sharing app using motorcycles office in Jakarta, and now, as group head of Legal and Compliance at GO-JEK, the ride- to cut through Jakarta’s notoriously congested streets. GO-JEK is a play on ojek, the share and lifestyle app, he’s in the thick of things at one of Indonesia’s most explosively Indonesia word for a two-wheeled taxi. growing tech start-ups. Now it has a range of other value-added services, including four-wheeled taxis, He recalls that when he joined the Jakarta office in food delivery and discovery, the dispatch of medical supplies, 2010, the general telephone number for the office was 1700. mobile massage and beauty therapies and one of Indonesia’s “My extension was 1706 – so I was the fifth lawyer other first mobile phone banking operations. than founding partner Daniel Ginting to join the firm,” he says The company’s website lists a range of neatly branded with a laugh. businesses, including GO-AUTO, GO-MASSAGE, GO-CLEAN, Nathaniel stayed with the firm as a senior associate until GO-GLAM and GO-PAY, the online payments service – evidence 2016, on the way completing a year’s secondment in 2012-13 of a top-speed corporate journey from a ride-share to a lifestyle at our Singapore office. business. And there’s no sign of that journey slowing down. A&O still operates as lead external counsel to GO-JEK, so It’s a good example of how homegrown tech businesses in his new role, he finds many welcome connections with old in Indonesia, and across Southeast Asia, have taken ideas friends and colleagues. and solutions from other markets and adapted them to meet “Even when dealing with counterparties, familiar faces local needs, rapidly growing to scale in the process. dating back to my A&O days regularly pop up,” he continues. “It’s a small world when you have all those friends working An interesting ride around you.” Nathaniel’s own journey to GO-JEK was also, in his words, an “interesting” ride. Approached in January 2016 by a Big ambition headhunter looking to fill a new head of legal role at the However, there is nothing small about GO-JEK. In Southeast company, he took time to consider the offer. Asia’s burgeoning tech market, the company – which started “I was reviewing my career options and thinking about operating from a small apartment in Jakarta in 2010 – has how I would like to move forward in A&O or other firms,” grown at an extraordinary pace. he says. “I knew Andre Soelistyo, the GO-JEK president, as he was an A&O client. By August 2017, its app had been downloaded some 50 million times. The But GO-JEK wasn’t as big as it is now, so I told the headhunter that I needed to think company now serves 50 major cities across Indonesia compared with just ten when this through.” Nathaniel joined in April 2016. Although Andre was not at first keen to recruit a head of legal from the A fundraising round in 2016 attracted a range of international investors including company’s lead counsel, the two men met and soon realised it was a good fit. “In the private equity (PE) giants KKR and Warburg Pincus. It saw GO-JEK valued at the end, the A&O connection meant that the transition was smooth,” says Nathaniel. more than USD1 billion to become Indonesia’s first so-called ‘unicorn’ company. “With me here at GO-JEK, the relationship with A&O runs well because Analysts say its value continued to soar this year – an extraordinary trajectory for such I know the Jakarta team, I’ve worked closely with the Singapore office and with the a young business. teams in Sydney and Beijing. So it’s a strong relationship,” he says.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 19 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

Nathaniel Mangunsong Group Head of Legal & Compliance, GO-JEK A&O: 2010-2016

Biography: After studying law in Jakarta and completing his LLM at New York University, Nathaniel began his career at Baker McKenzie Jakarta before joining A&O as a senior associate in 2010. Two years later he was seconded to the Singapore Since taking up his post at GO-JEK, he has expanded the office for a year before returning to Indonesia. legal team from just two to 13, adding a new compliance He joined GO-JEK as Group Head of Legal & function which reflects the regulatory and technical Compliance in 2016. complexity of operating an advanced tech company in a market which is still developing its legal and regulatory framework. “We won’t stop there,” he says. “As we take up new opportunities and add new products, we’ll need to continue to grow the legal side. As we do, we’ll continue to concentrate on operating efficiently and developing the team’s legal expertise and business skills in these still relatively new areas of commerce.”

Managing disruption Nathaniel says the expansion has not always been smooth or without controversy. One of the company’s most important jobs is managing ‘the impact of disruption’ – in other words, to introduce transformative technologies into the market smoothly, carrying existing businesses and wider society with it. “It’s always a challenge, but the company has a clear aim,” says Nathaniel. “As a company we are not about winners and losers,” he continues. “We’re trying to be a truly inclusive business and to convince other service providers that by working together we can use technology to spread benefits across society. That’s quite a powerful vision.”

Financial inclusion One of the best examples of this vision in action is GO-JEK’s role in extending financial services through its GO-PAY online payment service in a market where the majority of people remain ‘unbanked’. Many of the people who download the app have no access to normal banking services: no conventional bank account and no credit or debit cards. GO-PAY offers them their first chance to transfer credit seamlessly, bringing them into the banking arena for the first time. The Indonesian government has a policy objective of increasing financial inclusion, yet banking regulation

20 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD NATHANIEL MANGUNSONG is built around traditional banking services rather than him to develop new skills, both legal and entrepreneurial. the possibilities offered by new technologies of the sort He credits his time at A&O for the grounding that has GO-JEK is deploying. allowed him to take advantage of new opportunities. Regulation needs time to catch up. Given that, it’s “I’m grateful to the firm for giving me the opportunity important that GO-JEK is being given the opportunity to to develop my skills across a broad range of disciplines, ‘sandbox’ its ideas and to test out the regulatory system to experience different practice areas, work in different for its services. Such tests will ensure that extending offices, to train and to build leadership skills,” he continues. financial services to a new generation of customers His role at GO-JEK means that he is being called on through an online platform is done safely and securely. to innovate in the legal sphere much as the company is Nathaniel is acting as a champion in this area of innovating in the tech arena in an extraordinary market, GO-JEK’s business, regularly liaising with regulators and that’s exciting. and other players in the market to help shape “Now I’m at the forefront of not only advising but future regulation. also of implementing and executing,” he says. “For regulators and policymakers, this offers “It’s not always easy, but I think my time at A&O hope that they can create financial inclusion in a more shaped who I am and that means I feel ready and profound way,” he explains. equipped to be part of something great.”

Future growth So where does a company that has made such giant Reconnect with Nathaniel Mangunsong via strides in its domestic market go next? the Alumni Network at allenovery.com/alumni Nathaniel is clear that GO-JEK will look for new areas where it can add value. There is “Working together we can still so much more to be done in Indonesia, with a use technology to spread population of nearly 260 benefits across society.” million people and an economy that many predict will become one of the world’s biggest, alongside China, the U.S. and India, in the next 10 to 20 years. “Indonesia is still such an untapped market,” he says. “We have so many smaller cities and island communities that we can address. With the development of infrastructure in these places, there’s a real opportunity for us.” That’s an exciting prospect for Nathaniel in terms of his own career path. Working for GO-JEK is challenging

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 21 22 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017 A NEW DIGITAL DIRECTION VEENAY SHAH

Making the transition from A&O lawyer to co-founder of a tech start-up has given Veenay Shah an insight into how technology is changing the way we practise law.

Veenay joined A&O’s Banking department in 1998. He left two years later to It provides secure project and client collaboration to some of the world’s leading join DealComposer, an online capital raising company, as in-house counsel, law firms, investment banks and corporations to drive digital transformation, before launching his own company, HighQ. His ‘inside’ experience of deals was innovation and client engagement. invaluable in helping build his company into a leading supplier of cloud-based enterprise collaboration software. How did you spot the opportunity to develop HighQ and what role did A&O play? Tell us about your time at A&O. At the time I left A&O, David Morley was leading the development of A&O’s I worked on aircraft and shipping finance deals at A&O. It was hard work, with in-house ‘virtual deal room’. Several law firms were doing the same, but long hours and many all-nighters, but I learned a lot and enjoyed my time there. it was expensive to develop, and difficult to maintain and enhance due to The deals were exciting, and I had responsibility from early on. I mostly worked competing internal IT projects. Ajay and I also realised early on that not all with Julia Salt, Mario Jacovides and Ian Annetts. Fortunately, there was time for law firms would have the resources to develop in-house systems. So we decided relaxation too, when I played golf with partners and colleagues, including Mario, to start HighQ. Richard Satchwell and Davide Mencacci. I also helped organise a few corporate The plan was to build the best file-sharing software and license it as a golf days, which was fun. hosted solution to the legal industry. The idea was further reinforced by the fact that it was important for lawyers and their clients to have an industry standard to Why did you leave A&O and what was your next step? minimise any learning curve. This solution had the benefit of law firms avoiding Being a lawyer, either in-house or as a partner, wasn’t my long-term goal. I’d putting resources into developing in-house products. always wanted to start my own company, and that ambition stayed with me During this time, I made contact with Marc-Henri Chamay, who joined throughout my time as a lawyer. When I left A&O I joined DealComposer. It was A&O after I left. At that time, he worked on technology solutions for A&O and 2000 and the peak of the dotcom bubble. DealComposer was designed to guide was interested in and supportive of our product development. It was helpful to companies through funding processes, including regulatory and due diligence. have someone to talk through ideas with in those early days. He also put me I joined as their in-house counsel, but also worked on business development. in touch with people in similar positions at other law firms, and between them It was an interesting time and, although ultimately the business didn’t succeed, these contacts were instrumental in defining a product that would work best for it taught me a lot about running a start-up. lawyers and their clients. I was also indebted to Mark Dibble, who took the time to understand the Tell us about HighQ. solutions we were trying to build. Mark also joined A&O after I had left. He was When I left DealComposer, I co-founded HighQ with my best friend from university, head of Digital and Online Services, and his feedback on how we could make Ajay Patel. HighQ supplies cloud-based enterprise collaboration software. improvements to our product was invaluable.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 23 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

How has being a banking lawyer shaped your career choices? Amid the rush of adrenaline working on deals, I still found time to think about how lawyers function in a high-pressure environment. I started considering ways in which the delivery of legal services could be streamlined to benefit both clients and law firms. My experience at A&O helped me transform the kernel of an idea into a product. Knowing how to build the right product only came from being able to work on the inside and have a close understanding of how deals work and how the parties on each side need to communicate and collaborate.

What were the greatest challenges of building HighQ and how did you overcome them? The biggest challenge was to win our first major client. “The most useful products will be those that The legal industry was not used to hosted solutions automate the more document heavy and mundane at the time. The initial hurdle was to make law firms comfortable with their client data being hosted outside tasks, such as due diligence. Law firms will be their firewall. Once we had a few well known clients, cautious about embracing those products, but they others could see that the product and hosted service was robust and reliable, and they soon followed. are undoubtedly going to affect how lawyers work.” The next challenge was growing and managing the company, through hiring high-quality staff. Maintaining standards and customer service as you grow is important, and you need your staff to show the same level of passion and commitment that you would. We’ve been very lucky with the people we have hired, both in India, where most of our development is done, and here in London. We’ve looked after them well and they’ve remained loyal to us.

How do you see the changing technology landscape affecting law firms and other professional services organisations? Technology is a fast-moving environment, and far more complex than it used to be. This can be daunting for law firms. The development of AI will be interesting, but the most useful products will be those that automate the more document- heavy and mundane tasks, such as due diligence. Law firms will be cautious about embracing those products, but they are undoubtedly going to affect how lawyers work.

What has been the greatest innovation you’ve seen? Lawyers, legal secretaries and paralegals have traditionally had to manage huge amounts of paperwork which can be difficult to keep track of, making the job time-consuming and confusing. I can remember falling over piles of paper in my office, twisting my ankle, and spending a few weeks on crutches! Email has made a huge difference to effective and speedy communication, as does having a secure workspace online. This has enabled lawyers to send large files to relevant parties quickly, to give the right access to the right people, keep things secure and work far more efficiently. Time is freed up to work on the important aspects of a deal, rather than on the more paper-heavy administrative work.

24 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD VEENAY SHAH

When did you leave HighQ, and why? Are you still in touch with people at A&O? In January 2016, HighQ raised its first-ever investment round of USD50m from When I was at HighQ, I went to many meetings across A&O’s network of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and One Peak Partners, to help accelerate the offices, so I felt constantly in touch with my old friends and colleagues, and it company’s expansion into the U.S. market. I decided this would be a good time was great to have them as clients. Ben Fox joined A&O just after I did. We’re to take a step back and pursue different adventures. I am, however, as confident good friends and he’s a now a partner in A&O’s Amsterdam office. I’m still as always in the products that HighQ brings to market and the management team good friends with Marc-Henri, who is now CEO of aosphere. I’m also in regular that runs it. I’m still an investor in the company and plan to remain so for the contact with Mark Dibble, who left A&O in July 2017 to join HighQ as Director foreseeable future. of Legal Innovation. Over the years we’ve recruited several people from law firms, including A&O, What is your proudest moment from your time at A&O? to work for us in various roles, including sales and consulting, so it’s always good I joined A&O in the summer, and in the first month I was working on an aircraft to keep in touch through the Alumni Network. I attend the annual alumni reunions finance transaction with Julia Salt. By Christmas that year, I was working long in London and always enjoy reading the Alumni Yearbook to find out what old hours, taking trips to Europe and working late nights until the transaction colleagues have been up to. completed. Julia took the time to tell David Morley about my work. Given how new I was, I felt that was a good start. Such positive feedback gave me great confidence. Reconnect with Veenay Shah via the Alumni Network at allenovery.com/alumni What does the future hold for you? I’m leaving my options open and just enjoying the time with my children. Starting another business venture is always a possibility. I’ve made various investments and spent time passing on the benefit of my experience at HighQ to several new business owners.

Veenay Shah Co-founder of HighQ A&O: 1998-2000

Biography: Veenay qualified as a lawyer in 1997 and has an LLB honours from the University of Manchester. He worked as a Banking lawyer at A&O and Denton Wilde Sapte, where he gained extensive experience in legal deal making and transaction execution. Veenay co-founded HighQ in 2001.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 25 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

25%

THE AIM: LITIGATION PRACTICE TO

IGH GENERATE 25% OF THE FIRM’S REVENUE STREAM BY 2020

It has long been the case that business has operated globally, or, at least, across many countries. That trend shows no sign of abating, as U.S., European and

H Japanese multinationals are joined and challenged by, amongst others, their counterparts in China and India. A&O has ambitious plans to At the same time, these multinationals are consolidate its global Litigation increasingly subject to global regulation. National practice as a market leader and regulators are joining forces to ensure consistency and generate a quarter of the firm’s avoidance of regulatory ‘arbitrage’ (where businesses can choose or move to more loosely regulated revenue by 2020. How will jurisdictions). Then there is the extraterritorial reach these goals be achieved? of antitrust, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption legislation, particularly the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and sanctions which can hit businesses even in jurisdictions in which they do not have operations. Given that wrongdoing and disputes are inevitable, it follows that investigations, enforcement and controversy are increasingly global in nature. That makes dispute resolution more complex and far-reaching. It is an unwelcome, but necessary legal service – no business likes to have to deal with disputes, or pay lawyers to help resolve them. Disputes are expensive, time-consuming and their outcome is often uncertain – and businesses dislike nothing more than uncertainty. Throw into the mix the fact that dispute resolution

AIMING can lead to tricky questions of conflicts – you definitely

26 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD GLOBAL LITIGATION

growth of U.S. law in international transactions and the extra-territorial ambitions of the U.S. enforcement agencies, there is a particular need for those who are U.S. law-qualified. Over the past ten or so years, A&O has continued to develop its U.S. capability, both nationally and around 2016 the A&O network. With English or New York law being the law of choice in most global transactions, it is deemed essential to have qualified lawyers in each of these +40% legal regimes available, across the major international A&O was also forward-thinking in the areas of dispute on financial centres. which it advised. So, for example, it was one of the first It is not just lawyers who are brought in on teams: a 2012 law firms to develop a European practice, and Anthony major case now involves professional project managers, Paines achieved the distinction of being the first solicitor the LSC in Belfast and, quite often, consultants from BETWEEN 2012 AND 2016, to appear as an advocate before the European Court of Peerpoint, A&O’s global platform for self-directed REVENUES GENERATED BY LITIGATION Justice in Luxembourg in 1974. consultant lawyers. Resources are allocated where they GREW BY MORE THAN 40% More recently, the Litigation practice has been are needed; in 2017 we had the first instance of a senior growing quickly and very profitably: between 2012 and project manager, David Armsworth-Maw, relocating – in 2016, revenues generated by Litigation grew by more this case to our Perth office to assist on an arbitration. don’t want to be representing the other side against a than 40%. The Lawyer Global Litigation Top 50 notes “When clients see how we work, with valued client. You can also see that the major law firms that in 2016, A&O appointed or hired more litigation multijurisdictional, multicultural teams of lawyers and are constantly faced with many complex issues as they partners and lawyers than any other law firm. other professionals who know, like and respect each seek to develop their litigation capability. Nonetheless In 2017, there were 94 partners who focused other from many previous engagements, they see the in the vast majority of the leading U.S. firms, litigation on dispute resolution, which includes arbitration, difference between what we offer in a single firm and often represents more than 30% of the business and is investigations, mediation and other forms of alternative contrast it with the alternative – namely, to assemble an extremely profitable. dispute resolution, as well as litigation. Just under a fifth ad hoc team from multiple firms, each with their own Tim House, senior partner for the U.S. and global of A&O lawyers work in dispute resolution. It is now a top ways of working and each with their own interests. It head of Litigation at A&O, prefers to look at this complex ranked practice globally. is no comparison. Proper, instinctive collaboration and set of interrelated factors as an opportunity, rather than Expanding the global Litigation practice is therefore consistency are essential if a business is threatened by a threat. “In such a complex environment, international well on the way to being achieved, as Tim notes. “When litigation or enforcement action that could cripple the businesses are looking for a law firm that can deliver I became head of the Litigation practice in 2008, business, particularly if it is under assault in multiple global advice under one roof to help them solve their I thought there was no reason why Litigation could not countries by multiple agencies, or has to enforce its most challenging commercial disputes and regulatory join Banking, Corporate and Capital Markets as the fourth rights across a global market,” Tim says. investigations,” he says. “That is exactly what we offer, great pillar of our success. That became my mission. Excellent coordination between the offices and and we have plans in place that will make our offering “Our focus was on the types of work that are team members has never been more important, notes even more attractive to existing and potential clients.” quintessentially cross-border and international, such Brechje Van Der Velden, a Litigation partner as well as as cross-border regulatory enforcement work, global senior partner in the firm’s Amsterdam office. “We have Early foundations investigations, and international arbitration. All this had to be very strategic in working out the best arguments to Not that A&O is starting a litigation capability from to be done in tandem with having leading domestic win a case,” she says. “What might play well in the Dutch scratch. Indeed, the firm can draw on a long history litigation capability in the main financial and commercial courts could easily put you at a disadvantage in another of dispute resolution. George Allen, one of the firm’s centres of the world to manage the complex disputes that jurisdiction, depending on a whole host of factors. founders, was involved in what was probably the ultimate dog global businesses. We decided early on that a key “From time to time, we have quite deliberately held constitutional dispute – whether Edward VIII, King of the area was intellectual property (IP). IP is of fundamental back on potential winning arguments in one jurisdiction United Kingdom, should abdicate in order to marry Wallis importance to companies’ businesses, particularly in so as not to prejudice our overall case. That requires Simpson. It was an unprecedented issue that involved the tech and life sciences sectors, and protection of it good judgement.” referring back for authority to the Magna Carta. requires an international capability.” However, the impetus to start a dedicated Litigation As disputes become more international, disparate Challenges ahead practice came from William Martin, who joined the firm and complex, so has the emphasis been on integrating Tim says: “Looking back over the past ten or so years, as an office boy in August 1930. He went on to qualify our dispute resolution lawyers across the network. we rode the wave of globalisation, but we recognise as a lawyer, become a partner, head the Litigation Teams are assembled from different offices, as required, there are challenges ahead that we will need to meet department and, in the 1960s, was one of three senior on the basis of the nature of the dispute and individual if we are truly to consolidate our position as a market partners. Since then the practice has included some skills and experience. That may include lawyers with leader in global litigation and emerge pre-eminent.” legendary names, among them Sir John Charles, John qualifications in many different legal systems. Given the The first of those challenges is increasing the size and New and David Mackie, A&O’s first QC. power of the U.S. financial institutions, the increasing capability of A&O’s U.S. dispute resolution practice.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 27 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

series of major lateral hires, A&O now has more than 100 specialist IP lawyers across Europe, Asia Pacific and the U.S. The practice is making rapid progress in establishing A&O as one of the pre- eminent international IP firms. The LSC in Belfast also plays a crucial role in the 45 IP practice, supporting the scientific research that is always an essential component of IP protection, particularly in patent disputes. The growing importance that businesses attach to cyber security and data protection, in the wake of increased cyber attacks and tighter regulation, respectively, is leading to a LAWYERS IN THE U.S. DISPUTE RESOLUTION PRACTICE significant increase in the number of instructions in these areas of law.

Investing in litigation support technology areas of securities litigation, white collar crime and One of the explicit components of the strategy to become commercial litigation, the practice will be looking a leading global litigation law firm and to increase to add an IP capability and build a commercial and Litigation’s share of A&O’s overall profits entails international arbitration team, with a focus on U.S. and the investment in, and development of, technology. Latin American work. Investment in data management will help to generate x94 The competitive advantage of the U.S. practice is revenue and profitability, but more importantly, will its international reach. Jay puts it this way: “We have have a material positive impact both for our clients and IN 2017, THERE WERE 94 PARTNERS a two-pronged approach: to build our U.S. practice with the way we work internally. Brechje says: “If we let the WHO FOCUSED ON DISPUTE domestic clients in mind, and to continue to integrate technology come to our assistance by relieving us of RESOLUTION our U.S. law capability into the global platform. We are much of the mechanistic side of litigation, that frees the confident that there will continue to be a strong need to lawyers up to consider the essential issues. You can do service clients who are facing cross-border disputes or the thinking and let the technology do the work.” Founded in 2003 by A&O with Michael Feldberg as its initial investigations, and we are ready for them.” The task is immense. As the volumes of data grow head, the U.S practice has established itself well both in A&O also offers another real advantage in its global exponentially, it has become ever more important to the U.S. and throughout the network and now comprises Litigation practice, and that is its one-firm culture. As harness the technology to store, manage and search it. some 45 lawyers. U.S. litigation lawyers in both New York Michael notes: “By offering a firm that can handle all A&O is exploring the most advanced software for use in and Washington DC work collectively to solve clients’ aspects of the litigation, and coordinating local counsel, e-discovery (the electronic assembly of documents and complex litigation needs across a variety of disciplines. if necessary, we make the process so much more information relevant to a dispute), which includes not just Those lawyers are passionate – in the courtroom and facing efficient. This contrasts with the position where clients predictive coding and automatic searches but also visual government prosecutors and regulators – about advocating need to instruct several different law firms on one matter. analytics, voice recognition and the use of AI to sort data. for their clients’ interests. We know our approach adds real value, especially in Processing data is one challenge; how that data The recent expansion of the U.S. Litigation practice complex situations, where we can take the weight off is then used is of equal importance. There is therefore is all the more impressive given that A&O is constantly clients’ shoulders.” a strong emphasis on collaboration between lawyers, competing in a market dominated by large U.S. law firms, John Samaha, who leads the Australian Litigation e-discovery specialists and project management with long-established relationships. practice, agrees whole heartedly with that benefit and professionals, ensuring an efficient e-disclosure The U.S. holds the largest market for litigation says: “The A&O culture, which is rooted in collaboration, service to clients. More professionals with expertise in (“Litigation is a national sport,” jokes Michael) and will encourages teamwork. That, in turn, makes the process e-discovery are being employed, including Scott Robson, continue to dominate. Jay Pultman, who now heads the of allocating resources that much easier. People are who joined the firm in October to replace Vince Neicho, firm’s U.S. Litigation practice, notes that this is for two willing to be flexible and go where they are needed. who retired in May. reasons. The first is the more aggressive regulators, with Clients tell us regularly they like that approach.” Not surprisingly, this is a huge and ever-changing greater propensity to prosecute and enforce; and the More widely, the firm is looking to expand its task, requiring flexibility to adapt to advances in the second is in civil cases with the preponderance of class capability in investigations (both civil and criminal), IP technology. Yann Chatreau, who heads IT Risk in APAC actions, punitive damages and jury trials. and international arbitration, all of which are anticipated and is the global head of IT for Litigation, says that is There has been significant growth in the number to generate more work in the future, as Tim notes: “We why A&O has opted for open ‘eco systems’ so they can of U.S. lawyers and the practice has taken on a wide expect investigations and enforcement activity centred be adapted and augmented as the software improves. range of cases, particularly in financial services on antitrust, anti-bribery and corruption and sanctions The LSC is again playing a key role: it uses regulation and investigations, antitrust and the energy and anti-money laundering to continue apace.” Collaborate, a web-based platform which enables and commodities practice. But, as Michael says, “we Within IP, in the past year new partners have lawyers to communicate instructions, share documents can do more”. As well as looking to strengthen all been hired in London, Germany and Asia. With a and guidance across offices, to keep them up to date

28 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD GLOBAL LITIGATION

Litigation around the world Here are a few cases on which A&O’s global litigation lawyers have advised:

100+ • A&O acts for over 30 international investors in ten different claims under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) against Spain, A&O NOW HAS MORE THAN 100 regarding investments in the Spanish renewable energy sector. SPECIALIST IP LAWYERS ACROSS Claims arise out of retrospective changes made by Spain to EUROPE, ASIA PACIFIC AND THE U.S. the sector’s regulatory investment framework, which have led to investors making huge losses. In May 2017, our client, Eiser Infrastructure, in one of these cases was awarded compensation of EUR128 million, plus interest, for violations by the Spanish government of the ECT, failing to afford our client’s investment fair and equitable treatment. Enforcement proceedings have now begun in New York.

This is Spain’s first defeat in ECT claims against it regarding reforms to its renewable energy programme, having previously prevailed in two other claims arising from the same background (A&O did 1/5 not act on those two cases). Michael Feldberg • A&O successfully represented the Dutch bank ING in worldwide Partner litigation arising out of the collapse of the Danish OW Bunker A&O: 2003-present Group, the world’s largest supplier of marine fuel prior to its collapse in 2014 and one of the largest maritime bankruptcies in history. The litigation, which culminated in a landmark UK JUST UNDER A FIFTH OF A&O Supreme Court case, was fought in more than 20 jurisdictions LAWYERS WORK IN DISPUTE including the U.S., the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Belgium, RESOLUTION the UAE and Canada. Tim House Senior Partner, U.S. and • A&O represents the Bosch companies, the world’s largest Global Head of Litigation automotive suppliers, in the multidistrict Automotive Parts with developments and ensure efficiency – all part of A&O: 1983-present Antitrust Litigation, consolidated in the United States District ensuring that A&O is joined up and coordinated. Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The litigation involves Alongside the investment in IT, A&O is stepping 35 separate auto parts and claims by automobile dealers, end up its project management capability. The immediate payors and direct and indirect purchasers, who seek billions of benefit is a more efficient use of resources, allowing dollars of damages for alleged cartel behaviour. lawyers to focus more on the output of the IT product Jacob Pultman • A&O is fielding a cross-border team from London, New York, and improve the service to clients. However, Tim Partner, Head of U.S. Litigation practice Hong Kong and Beijing representing a major international hedge A&O: 2003-present stresses that lawyers cannot detach themselves from fund in relation to the myriad legal proceedings arising out of the the process and that, increasingly, clients expect theft of highly valuable confidential information and trading them to be technologically savvy. strategies by a former UK employee. The case involves multiple Underpinning everything is the need to establish civil and criminal proceedings in several jurisdictions, including excellent relationships with clients, who, perhaps England, Hong Kong and the U.S. more than in any other practice area, depend on their • A&O is advising Pfizer in enforcing its second medical use patent lawyers to offer judgement and guidance in situations John Samaha Partner, Head of Australia for its blockbuster, Lyrica (pregabalin), against Actavis and a large where there are no easy answers or solutions. Those Litigation practice number of generic companies in the UK, France and Germany. relationships have to withstand some severe tests, as A&O: 2011-present Brechje notes: “Quite often, and naturally, there will • A&O is advising Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and its French be differences of opinion. It is very easy to have a fight subsidiary, Samsung Electronics France, which are being sued with a client, just as much as with the other side! But for patent infringement by Technicolor, worldwide technology leader in the media and entertainment sector, in relation to a you have to be bold, choose a strategy and defend it. range of standard essential patents (‘SEPs’) and non-SEPs Ultimately, that is why clients choose and respect us.” targeting a wide range of their phones and tablets, as well Exciting times, then, for the A&O global Litigation Brechje Van Der Velden Senior Partner, Netherlands as a number of other products. practice. Definitely a case of ‘watch this space’. A&O: 2000-present

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 29 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

Alumnae Abi Silver and Shankari Chandran both published books in 2017 that draw on their experiences in A&O and a personal interest in the future of science and technology.

30 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ABIGAIL SILVER & SHANKARI CHANDRAN

Abi Silver Peerpoint consultant and author A&O: 1991-1997

Leeds native Abi Silver always wanted to be a lawyer and achieved her ambition when she joined A&O, armed with a law degree from Cambridge. She worked as a litigator in A&O’s London office for six years. In her first novel, The Pinocchio Brief, she draws on her knowledge of the law to explore the use of cutting-edge technology in the criminal justice system.

Tell us about your time as a lawyer

I joined A&O in March 1991 and immediately entered the Litigation department, which was much smaller than it is now. I worked with litigation partners including David Mackie, Peter Watson, Joanna Page, Sidney Myers, Kate Buckley, Robert Hunter, Tim House and Judith Gill. I also worked with Peter Totty on several insolvency cases, including the well reported Bell Group litigation, and with David Wootton on corporate matters. After six years, I moved to Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) to focus on smaller litigation matters.

“Litigators often work as detectives too, so writing I made a crime novel was fairly natural in that respect.” some close friends and How did you move from lawyer to novelist? met my husband, Dan, my husband, went to work for an oil and gas company as in-house counsel, and they asked him to open an office Dan. in Israel. I’d temporarily stopped working after the birth of our first son, so it was a good time to go overseas. We lived in Israel for four years and had two more boys while we were there. I considered working in Israel. The six-day week didn’t put me off but having young children and no family support nearby would have made it difficult. So instead I learned Hebrew, completed an MBA, took pottery classes and began to write. We were surrounded by artists where we lived in Ra’anana, just outside Tel Aviv. Everyone was supportive and encouraged me to try different things. It was during that time that I started writing my first novel. I returned to RPC when we moved back to the UK, but the pressures of work and childcare meant that my writing got shelved, which was a shame. When I left RPC, I started looking for ways of combining writing with being a lawyer. That was when I finished the first draft of The Pinocchio Brief.

Tell us about the book

I’ve always been a bit geeky. The idea for the book came from an article in New Scientist that described software being developed to monitor faces and assess tiny, almost invisible movements when a person speaks that show whether they are telling the truth. The book is about a school boy who is accused of murdering his teacher. He won’t explain to his lawyers what happened and so they struggle to put together a defence for him with very little information.

, He s gifted, but very closed.

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During his trial it’s decided that, due to cuts in the criminal justice budget, the courts will use assistive technology to help decide whether the boy is telling the truth. I based the technology on the product I’d read about and called it Pinocchio. It allowed me to explore the idea of whether humans or computers are better at making judgements about human honesty. The book was published in July 2017 and has had good reviews from The Times and The Times Crime Club, Daily Mail and The Literary Review, which called it “an excellent first novel”. I am very excited to see how it will be received by the public.

What’s your personal view on using such technology?

A product like Pinocchio exists; it’s called Silent Talker. It’s purportedly used for vetting and assessing credibility but Ul timately, not in court proceedings. I’m yet to be convinced that it should have the final say in any big decisions, but I’d love to I would probably see it in action. view assistive I’m not against the idea of relying on technology to some extent, especially when you consider the number of technology as miscarriages of justice that occur on the basis that either forensic or witness evidence is wrong, or juries are biased ano ther useful or misled. On the other hand, we do tend to see technological solutions as infallible, so, for example, most people are tool in the surprised to hear that traditional lie detectors are only about 60% accurate. lawyer’s armoury ra ther than as Did your legal skills help you to be a better writer? final arbi ter. That’s how I’ve Absolutely. There are some obvious transferable skills, like self-discipline, organisation, writing concisely and positioned i t in structuring your work. Litigators often work as detectives too, so writing a crime novel was natural in that respect. my book but you’ll have to What is your writing process? read i t to find out what If I’m not working on a legal assignment, I try to write every day. Even if it ends up being deleted, it’s important to just happens. get on with it. I don’t plan all the details. I tend to have a few ideas, start to write, and the story will build from there. Working with an editor and publisher helped me with plotting and getting a story to flow, so I might plan more for my next book. I t’s often how I break through to You must have been excited to find a publisher. the good I had some early setbacks. I didn’t secure an agent or a publisher for a long time, and no-one in my family was terribly ideas. interested in the book either! That kept me grounded and as a lawyer I’m naturally cautious. In the end, a publisher I knew through a friend agreed to read the first three chapters, and things developed from there. It was only when I knew he was interested and had accepted the book that I allowed myself to get excited.

As well as writing, are you still working as a lawyer?

I still enjoy legal work, but it’s hard to combine a full-time job with writing. While I was writing The Pinocchio Brief, an old A&O friend mentioned Peerpoint to me. I discussed it with Lisa Mulley, whom I knew from my A&O days, and

The Pinocchio Brief is published by Lightning Books in paperback and digital versions.

32 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ABIGAIL SILVER & SHANKARI CHANDRAN

Catching up with Julia Noble, Emma Campbell, Emma Sharman and Emma Gilkes at Abi’s July launch at Waterstones, Leadenhall Market, London.

“For the first time [with Peerpoint] I believed it would be possible to pursue both careers.” could see that contract work through Peerpoint would be the perfect solution: for the first time I believed it would be possible to pursue both careers. It’s great to keep those links with A&O and work via an organisation for which I have so much respect. I’ve loved having the flexibility to write when I want and keep my legal brain active. I’m very lucky to be able to keep my options open.

You’ve obviously kept in touch with people at A&O.

Well there’s Dan, of course, but I also made lasting friendships at A&O. The trainee group was small and we had lots of social activities which brought us together. There was more of a sense of camaraderie than competition among peers, and I’m still good friends with many of them and people I worked with in other teams too. Many of my old A&O colleagues, including Ray Berg, Jane and Toby Gibson, Susan Hazledine, Julia Noble, Emma Campbell, Emma Sharman, Emma Gilkes, Chris Georgiou and Mike Hawthorne, came to my book launch. It was wonderful to have their support and all be together again.

What’s next?

I’ve started to write a sequel. I’m going to keep working as a consultant and will of course have to be careful about who and what I draw on. But I’m confident I can do that in a way that lets me pursue both careers. It’s an exciting time.

Reconnect with Abi Silver via the Alumni Network at allenovery.com/alumni

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 33 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

Shankari Chandran, the author behind The Barrier THE ART OF THE ‘WHAT IF’

34 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ABIGAIL SILVER & SHANKARI CHANDRAN

Shankari Chandran Author A&O: 1999-2009

Shankari Chandran joined A&O’s London office in 1999 as an associate in the Corporate department. She then moved to pro bono and ran an award-winning social justice programme before returning home to Australia. Her books draw on subjects she worked on as a pro bono lawyer; an interest in science and technology informed her new novel, The Barrier.

Tell us about your time at A&O.

I loved my ten years at A&O. The partners responsible for the Pro Bono department, and particularly David Mackie QC, Guy Beringer QC, Stephen Denyer and David Morley, were committed to the concept of social justice, and it was their drive and leadership that made it possible to have such a high-impact programme. The pro bono team members were immensely capable and dedicated professionals and I miss working with them, even now. The variety of work was extraordinary. Over those years, our lawyers represented detainees at Guantanamo Bay, they worked on multijurisdictional law reform projects to track down perpetrators of child pornography, and I was lucky enough to be part of a team advising Gordon Brown when he was prime minister. We worked with leading organisations such as Liberty, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Interights, which introduced me to the importance of

“The partners responsible for the Pro Bono department, and particularly David Mackie QC, Guy Beringer QC, Stephen Denyer and David Morley, were committed to the concept of social justice.” international humanitarian law and the consequences when these laws are ignored during armed conflict. Watching what an international law firm and determined volunteers can achieve was a real privilege. I still talk to Helen Rogers, Sue Wisbey, Emma Shaw and Terri Wipperman, as well as Colin Pearson, Louise Zekaria, Davina Watson and Michelle Blythe who were in the team but have since left A&O. I loved working with Colin: as well as being a good friend and fellow lover of literature, he helps me understand my publishing contracts!

What made you decide to leave?

I left A&O at the end of 2009 to come back to Australia. I was about to have my fourth child and, as much as I loved my work, it was time to come home. Before I had my baby, I worked briefly for the Attorney General’s office developing its international pro bono strategy.

What prompted you to start writing?

I’d loved writing as a child, but was never brave enough to commit to it as a career. When I came back to Australia, I was unsettled by the feeling that it didn’t seem like home. At the same time, I discovered the world of blogging,

I liked the conversational and fun tone of blogging.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 35 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

and I started to write as a way of helping me to find my place. As luck would have it, my blog was picked up by a well-known lifestyle website in Australia. I ended up writing regularly for it on all sorts of subjects, from parenting to multiculturalism. This work gave me the confidence to tackle writing a novel.

What’s the new book about?

The Barrier is set in the aftermath of a global religious war and an Ebola pandemic. The West won the war and peace and a new political order are established. The West then sets about using technology to isolate the East both physically and virtually and to deliver healthcare that will ensure the virus is kept at bay. Against this backdrop, the book’s protagonist is sent to the East to investigate a rogue scientist who is jeopardising herd immunity and risking the release of another virus.

This is your second book – what success have you had so far?

I’ve published two books this year and I’m working on a third, which I describe below. They’ve been reviewed well, with write-ups in The Economist’s 1843 culture magazine and Sydney Morning Herald’s Pick of the Week as well as numerous One is how profiles in the Australian and Sri Lankan press. My first novel, The Sun God, was reviewed well on both sides we use science of the political and ethnic divide in Sri Lanka, where it is set, which is reassuring. My next challenge is to break to protect into the international market. ourselves, yet at the same Tell us about some of the technology and science you’ve used in The Barrier. time use that idea Although it’s not a science fiction novel, the book employs many different technologies to explore moral questions of ‘securi ty’ that are pertinent today. to maintain Initially I spent time researching the technology and science of immunology. I was fortunate to be able to discuss Equally interesting political power my ideas with my sibling, who is an immunologist. The medical technology discussed in the book (technology that is the study of at the expense diagnoses problems in the brain and blood) was invented with the help of my dad, who is a neurosurgeon. countries suffering of o thers. During the writing, I reached a point where the ‘real-life’ science wouldn’t work for the plot, so I began to add internal, plausible fictional science. For example, I used current science and understanding of the Ebola virus to create a e thnically-based fictitious variant strain of the disease. conflicts, which then must deal What other themes did you explore? wi th a natural disaster as well. I wanted to bring out the idea of political motivations behind public health delivery. It’s interesting to examine Public heal th what disease research we invest in and how those choices reflect our values and priorities. So, for example, service delivery, the global health burden of diseases such as syphilis, cholera and tuberculosis is significant. However, we technology and invest less (per capita of incidence) in curing those diseases than we do in breast cancer, which is very much a aid are often aimed First World disease. The book also describes a cyber barrier that stops the movement of people, knowledge and at areas based on information between the East and West. Again, I wanted to explore the distinction between protection and using that e thnicity. This was same technology to make incursions into our private lives that we are undoubtedly not aware of. The book presents certainly the case a world order that uses (and abuses) technologies to keep us safe, but also to maintain power structures. It asks the in, for example, reader to consider the morality of those decisions and trade-offs. Sri Lanka.

36 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ABIGAIL SILVER & SHANKARI CHANDRAN

Did your legal skills help your writing?

I think the practice of law is excellent training for being a writer. At A&O, I was surrounded by colleagues who had drive, self-discipline and stamina as well as rigorous intellectual abilities. Growing up professionally in that environment strengthened my eye for detail and consistency, my research skills and focus on a structured narrative arc. It also gave me the stamina for the hundreds of rewrites that are always needed to get a book finished. And after all those years in a darkened data room, I can concentrate and write anywhere, without access to water, fresh air or natural lighting.

What is your writing process?

I take the kids to school and then come straight home and bash away at the keyboard. I don’t reread my work until months later; I just keep writing, until I have a substantial amount of material. I don’t tinker with or judge my work as I go along, I just get it down on the page. I try to get on with the job, as David Mackie QC used to advise me. The editing and rewrites come much later. I’m a great believer in what the writer Jodi Picoult says: “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

What’s next?

I’m working on my third book. It’s a political thriller set in Sri Lanka at the end of the civil war. A high-profile journalist The Barrier is is executed in the streets of Colombo in broad daylight. No-one knows who did it or why. As part of the writing process, published by I’m researching the Geneva Conventions, land mine treaties and other aspects of international law. When that’s done, Macmillan I’d like to write a gentle novella about my grandmother. Australia in paperback and Have you kept in touch with former A&O colleagues and fellow alumni? digi tal versions.

I still have great friends at A&O, and because of the nature of pro bono and community work, they are in offices all around the world. There’s something about people who love this kind of work; a shared set of aspirations, I suppose. I still talk to Bob Nightingale and Julie Bishop, who were clients. Over the years, I made good friends, such as David Campbell, Catherine Husted and Francis Herbert, and love connecting with them from time to time. We all work hard and get so absorbed in our lives, so surprise emails from friends in distant places are a lovely reminder that good things last. My A&O friends are wonderfully resolute, commercially pragmatic and quietly subversive people. They’ve been excited about my books and can see the A&O years in them.

“My A&O friends are wonderfully resolute, commercially pragmatic and quietly subversive people. They’ve been excited about my books and can see the A&O years in them.”

Reconnect with Shankari Chandran via the Alumni Network at allenovery.com/alumni

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 37 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

Big Fish sculpture by John Kindness at Queen’s Quay, situated at the foot of the A&O office.

SPOTLIGHT ON BELFAST…

38 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD SPOTLIGHT ON BELFAST

NEW WAYS OF WORKING

Opened in 2011, A&O’s Belfast office has made its mark on the firm and how it serves clients.

A&O Belfast gives the firm a unique proposition and, with its blend “The pressure from clients forced us to take a fresh look at how we of technology and law, is forcing lawyers to reconsider how they delivered some of our support services,” Andrew says. serve their clients. The SSC launched in November 2011 to deliver core internal It’s also becoming “a centre of competence for the firm” in the field business support processes including IT, HR, finance, business services of data extraction and contract review using AI tools. That was the view and library. The LSC followed in early 2012 with its focus on providing Andrew Brammer of senior partner Wim Dejonghe after he visited the office, home to our clients with the right combination of resourcing and technology. IT and Shared Services Support Services Centre (SSC) and the LSC, early in 2017. A year later, the Belfast office expanded with the establishment Director A&O: 2002-present Belfast has certainly made a success of its first six years. Conceived of business protection and acceptance units (BPU/BAU), adding further in the aftermath of the 2008/10 financial crash and opened in 2011 lawyers to those already working in the LSC and aosphere. The move, when other law firms were closing offices, it has profoundly changed the said Andrew, demonstrated the firm’s confidence in the quality of legal way A&O supports its network of offices and clients. talent in the local market. Its work, particularly in advancing the use of technology in the legal sector, has been recognised within the legal industry, the Northern Different atmosphere Ireland (NI) business community and the firm. It is regularly cited for best Visitors, including those from other A&O offices, comment that practice in working environment and corporate responsibility. Belfast has a different atmosphere to other offices in the network. The With more than 500 employees, Belfast is our second-biggest office city itself is buzzing, and nowhere more so than the city centre, where worldwide, and naturally its people are proud of their achievements. A&O is located. Andrew Brammer, IT and Shared Services Director, was Major new developments and regeneration projects have instrumental in establishing the office and led the SSC for its first transformed areas such as the Titanic Quarter, Victoria Square and the three years. Its genesis owes much to the firm’s realisation that it had Cathedral Quarter. Business and employment opportunities are good to respond to client demands that their advisors be more efficient and and the city continues to attract major foreign direct investment with cost-effective. new operations by the likes of Baker McKenzie, Pearson, Tullett Prebon iCap, Axiom and iManage.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 39 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

Staff also enjoy their modern open plan office in a “lively little corner” of the 500+ city. In front of the office is Belfast’s ‘Salmon of Knowledge’ sculpture, the equivalent ALLEN & OVERY’S of Copenhagen’s famous mermaid. Nearby is the historic Customs House and SECOND LARGEST OFFICE Titanic museum. It’s an area popular with both locals and tourists, especially the BY HEADCOUNT cruise ship trade. A&O was one of the first international law firms to establish its services centre in Belfast. The move was also “a coup” for Invest NI with its vision of a legal services 100+ cluster in Belfast to complement its financial and fintech centre. THE IT DEPARTMENT Andrew recalls being made to feel “incredibly welcome” by the NI business ALONE BOASTS MORE community. Six years on, A&O is among Northern Ireland’s top 150 employers and part THAN 100 PEOPLE of the fabric of the city and local community.

Ascending the value chain Patricia Rogers, who succeeded Andrew as SSC head, said the SSC was primarily set up to do low-end transactional work. “Over time, we’ve moved up the value chain.” She cites the IT department as an example – today, global IT service management is Patricia Rogers Support Services operated solely from the Belfast office, as are all IT infrastructure projects. Centre Head “Every support function is represented in Belfast,” Patricia says. The SSC carries A&O: 2013-present out “a significant amount of the transactional activity for the firm in terms of support functions”, mainly for the UK, western European and U.S. practices. The IT department in Belfast is A&O’s largest, with more than 100 people. That puts the office in an ideal position to trial innovative technology. One area of interest is robotic process automation (RPA) in support services. This technology, widely deployed in our client operation centres, uses technology to automate swathes of repetitive process work. Though in its infancy, RPA is something BELFAST the board is “keen for us to investigate further,” Patricia says. “That will be an opportunity not just for SSC but for support functions Time zone ping-pong throughout the firm.” Multinational organisations are fond of the concept of handing off jobs between offices in different parts of the world, especially In the forefront of development if the work is urgent. Technology is also changing the landscape in legal services, and here the LSC is in the forefront of development. An integral part Belfast allows the A&O network to play the same game on Jane Townsend of our Advanced Delivery suite, the LSC has helped give us, in occasion although, as Jane stresses, they obviously prefer Partner, Head of essence, a new way of working with clients. Legal Services Centre advance notice. A&O: 1995-present LSC head Jane Townsend says an increasing number of On one occasion, the LSC was able to help after A&O’s Sydney lawyers are embracing technology. “Using a machine to help read office received “some quite tricky documents” about 7pm their documents for you, for example, is becoming a lot more mainstream time and a 24-hour deadline for dealing with them. in the industry,” she said. “We have that technology in this office.” For many young lawyers, the LSC is a “door-opener”; an “They rang us for help about 9am our time,” said Jane. “We opportunity to increase their awareness of IT and the importance of managed to get a team of about eight people, with experience, adding those skills and knowledge to their toolkit. to drop what they were doing to help our people in Sydney. The LSC works on client matters with most of the firm. Around 300 partners have instructed the LSC; more than 150 regularly use “Because we have quite a big team here, we do our best to its services. It typically handles document-intensive projects, work shuffle work around to enable us to help our colleagues when this sort of thing happens.” that other offices don’t have the permanent manpower to handle. Increasingly it also works on smaller and more specialised drafting, analysis and negotiation exercises. Often it is external client-facing work, sometimes involving LSC secondees. At any time, 10-15 LSC lawyers will be on secondment SYDNEY

40 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD SPOTLIGHT ON BELFAST

within the A&O network or at client sites, giving Belfast a physical interaction with other Legal Innovation Centre offices and their clients. A&O is one of the sponsors of the Legal Innovation Centre at The LSC is also well placed to help identify opportunities for technology-based Ulster University, which was launched in February 2017. Andrew improvements. “We have the luxury of a bit more time to explore better ways of doing describes the initiative – the first of its kind in the UK as “post- things,” Jane says. “Demand on us is a little less than on a traditional A&O office, so graduate education where law and technology intersect”. it’s easier to say to one or two people, ‘Go away for a month and develop a solution’ to “As a firm, we recognise the huge opportunities, and disruption, that a specific challenge. technology will bring to our clients and our industry,” he says. “With the “Because we are a general pool of resource, our lawyers work across different LSC, we are starting to bring together some of that law and technology practices. That enables us to lead change by suggesting improvements we see in one to look at its influence on how we design and shape solutions in future. area of the practice that can be usefully deployed from other areas.” One LSC team member developed an innovative process for recording trademark “One of the benefits of being in NI is access to a highly educated transfers and applied it to 20,000 such transfers in 185 jurisdictions around the world, and technology-literate workforce.” in support of a joint venture in the healthcare sector. “The LSC is a microcosm of the firm,” Jane says. “When you work closely with IT, Jane worked closely with the university on setting up the centre. as we do, technology ceases to be a ‘minority sport’. We can all benefit from it.” She says the inaugural course was well received and the centre’s partners are looking at ways of expanding its relevance, including the introduction of a recognised legal technologist qualification. Scientists on staff The LSC also has eight PhD-qualified scientists on staff, a reflection of the breadth of “Legal service is a knowledge-led business and technology is pivotal to client issues and a differentiator for A&O in the market. Their knowledge of physics, everything we do,” she says. “Across our firm, we seek to continually chemistry and molecular biology is invaluable in improve and enhance our systems and the way we do things. This IP litigation, particularly in the life sciences and collaboration gives us the opportunity to work towards these and other technology sectors. “Some claims revolve around goals while deepening our strong relationship with Ulster University.” disputes in relation to the science,” Jane says. “To understand documents and fight these claims, you need people who can follow the literature.” This knowledge and skill is also useful in writing descriptions of science or technology-heavy businesses, for a prospectus for example, and in helping corporate clients manage product liability risk in areas relating to new scientific developments. The LSC is steadily expanding the number of practices it works with beyond English law jurisdictions. One result of more work in the U.S. may be to encourage some of its lawyers to add U.S. law qualification to their CVs. As the LSC matures, it is adding an increasing amount of in-house and client-facing work to its portfolio. Its lawyers also now find themselves working for specific clients, negotiating and drafting complicated documents and instruments. “We’re moving from being just a ‘big projects offering’ with other A&O offices to handling many more strands of smaller work, often direct with clients,” Jane says.

Above: Ulster University Energised workforce is home to the UK’s The impact of Belfast’s dynamic and energised Legal Innovation Centre. workforce is perhaps best seen in the way the office engages with its local community. It has a vibrant and active corporate social responsibility

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 41 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

(CSR) agenda, driven by the staff. “Our people are very interested in the contribution that we as an office can make,” Patricia says. The team revels in its multicultural mix, a reflection partly of its work supporting offices across the globe, partly the happy outcome of increased mobility in the labour force – part of the NI peace dividend. At last count, 13 languages are spoken in the office. Some 70% of the staff are millennials; considerations such as flexible working patterns are important. Nine-to-five doesn’t suit everyone, which helps when it comes to staffing SSC shifts in IT support, creative services, finance and document services, which need to cover office hours in other time zones. Diversity and inclusivity are major themes for the office. It invests in a structured programme of initiatives across numerous interests, including gender, health and well- being, LGBT and families and carers. “Diversity is key for us,” Patricia says, “and we lead the way in the local market.” Top: Titanic museum is one of the best-known tourist If proof were needed, she could point to A&O’s founding membership in both NI’s attractions in Belfast. Rainbow Project in support of the LBGT community and the Equality Commission’s Bottom: Illuminated Belfast City Hall. health charter. The Belfast office has CORE accreditation – one of very few firms in Northern Ireland to have it – and is featured in a broadcast by the Equality Commission about best practice in mental health. Business in the Community awarded it ‘highly commended’ for diversity and inclusion. Belfast staff donate their time to mentoring school children in skills such as reading, computer literacy and coding through programmes with local junior and senior

42 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD SPOTLIGHT ON BELFAST

“What A&O has achieved in Belfast has been largely down to its ‘one firm’ culture. Our success here wouldn’t have been possible without the drive, determination and skills of all the people involved – not just the team here, but the many people we work with across the firm every day.” Kevin Oliver Head of Advanced Delivery (Technology) A&O: 2011-present

schools in disadvantaged areas. They also take part in a Dragons’ Den-style activity, IT’s year of disruption in partnership with PwC. After years of hearing how technology was going to disrupt the way we deliver legal The office’s CSR committees are “very self-motivated,” says Patricia. “They get services to clients, Kevin Oliver believes 2017 was the year it “came to fruition”. things done – and that’s great. I’m very proud of our people. They’re committed to making a difference.” He’s in a good position to know: as London-based head of the Advanced Delivery technology department, it’s his job to make it happen in A&O. Culture of innovation Kevin is responsible for technology that impacts how lawyers work day to day; for The Belfast set-up gives people time and space to innovate. “The firm gains additional exploring ways to help lawyers transact more efficiently and profitably. “Essentially value from our culture of thinking about continuous service improvement,” Patricia says. we’re trying to build a legal technology toolkit for the various practices.” When Belfast’s marketing team realised the headache that completing A&O’s submissions for the annual legal directories caused, they took on the task of He moved to his current role in May 2017 after six years in Belfast where he led streamlining the process. Ultimately they plan to automate it. Patricia says the firm can the IT team setting up the service management function there. expect more of the same. The firm’s success in NI and its reputation for good training makes A&O people The legal sector, he says, is five years behind retail, pharma and other industries in attractive to other professional services companies. But they come back too – its use of technology. But software suppliers are getting better at understanding the challenges lawyers face in areas such as document review and discovery, sometimes quickly, as was the case of an IT specialist who returned after only a few and developing appropriate technology. months with an insurance company. Another ‘boomerang’ rejoined the Belfast office after two years in Dubai; others have moved to the London office, some to join the He says much changed in 2016/17 to give legal services “an extended period of trainee scheme, and “hopefully will come back to us in the years ahead”. technology-assisted lawyering”; meanwhile, his team constantly scans the “What A&O has achieved in Belfast has been largely down to its ‘one firm’ technology horizon to stay abreast of developments. culture,” Patricia says. “Our success here wouldn’t have been possible without the drive, determination and skills of all the people involved – not just the team here, but “My role is trying to understand what’s really important from A&O’s perspective,” the many people we work with across the firm every day. he says. “We’re trying to focus on where the firm’s resources and capital can be “Belfast is a key part of the firm and we’re here to benefit the firm as a whole.” invested wisely.”

Kevin rejects as “unlikely” the suggestion that technology will put lawyers out of a job. What will change, he says, is the way they work with automated systems. 13 New roles will enter the market. “Lawyers will be able to become more focused LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN in certain areas,” he says. THE BELFAST OFFICE “We’re trying to raise awareness of the role of technology beyond practice 10-15 management, looking more along the lines of how technology can help us work better, smarter and more proficiently. Law firms will increasingly LSC LAWYERS ON SECONDMENT AT ANY ONE TIME WITHIN THE re-invent themselves to rely on data to make decisions from the ground up.” A&O NETWORK AT CLIENT SITES

In Belfast, members of our technology team sit within the LSC, increasing their day-to-day contact with lawyers and legal work. Kevin says: “We’re trying to get the two disparate groups more closely aligned, talking each other’s language 8 going forward.” PHD-QUALIFIED SCIENTISTS ON THE LSC STAFF

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 43 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

CHILDREN

T R A P P E D

BY

44 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD RESCUING CHILDHOOD

Andrew Ballheimer Louise Young Global Managing Partner Associate, Madrid A&O: 1987-present A&O: 2015-present

In March 2017, A&O Managing Partner serve blocks of caravans so, as one course of the partnership. It will also in January 2017, A&O raised a record Andrew Ballheimer travelled to Jordan mother told us, they have to bring their provide support to nearly 200 parents GBP467,000 – exceeding the previous to visit the Emirati Refugee Camp, home children with them to cook, which makes and carers to help their children. record by nearly GBP100,000. to around 8,000 Syrian refugees. Emirati accidents common. The alternative is to “The children who come into our “Within just six months of the Camp is one of the newer and therefore let the children play outside in the dirt, centres often exhibit behavioural traits partnership launching, we reached our smaller refugee camps in Jordan – increasing the risk of infection.” that indicate psychosocial distress from target of raising GBP500,000 to fully fund only about a tenth of the size of nearby fleeing Syria,” says Helen. “They’ve seen the facility in Emirati Camp,” Andrew says, Za’atari Camp. It was set up by the A safe space for child refugees so much conflict that they’re mentally “allowing plans to move forward quickly Emirati Red Crescent who now run the Andrew’s visit was organised by War removed from human interaction. So and construction to get under way. The camp alongside the Jordanian police. Child, an international charity that you might have children who are very contribution from right across A&O has “The camp is literally in the middle provides education and protection aggressive, or withdrawn and isolated. been far greater than we expected.” of nowhere, in the centre of the Jordanian services to children affected by conflict. We work with the children to manage As well as donating through the ‘First desert,” Andrew explains. “There’s In November 2016, A&O launched a their emotions in the most healthy way.” Hour, First Day’ campaign, A&O offices nothing to see for miles around. The camp two-year partnership with War Child to around the world have been raising funds feels very controlled, almost prison-like. support its Rescue Childhood programme Incredible global response to support War Child. It is home mainly to women and families and fund a child-friendly space in Emirati A&O staff chose War Child in a One of the year’s fundraising who come here for the medical services Camp, providing psychosocial support worldwide vote and the response to highlights was a performance by A&O available, as well as the opportunity for and education to Syrian refugee children. the partnership from the outset has staff and alumni of the Cole Porter adults to access vocational courses. Helen Barley, War Child’s country been, in Andrew’s words, “incredible”. musical ‘Anything Goes’ at London’s “What’s clear, though, is that director in Jordan, says the facility in Through a global fundraising campaign in famous Hackney Empire theatre. there’s nothing for young children to Emirati Camp will offer a safe space for which people across 41 offices donated do. Communal kitchens and bathrooms 2,160 children to play and learn over the the first hour or first day of their pay

GBP467,000 ‘FIRST HOUR, FIRST DAY’ CAMPAIGN ACROSS 41 OFFICES, RAISED A RECORD AMOUNT IN JANUARY 2017

65.6 MILLION THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DISPLACED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD – ITS HIGHEST LEVEL EVER

4,000 HOURS OF PRO BONO WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR TO A&O’s two-year partnership with charity War Child is working SUPPORT DISPLACED PEOPLE to improve the life chances of Syrian refugee children trapped by the civil war in their homeland.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 45 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

On stage, more than 80 A&O and alumni Inventive fundraising Hiking in the heat & Overy Foundation. The team also met performers, joined by local primary Elsewhere across the international Perhaps the most ambitious fundraiser War Child’s representatives in Jordan school children and singers and dancers network, A&O’s Amsterdam office saw an international team of 20 people who, as Louise says, spoke emotionally from War Child and client organisations, raised more than EUR13,000 by hosting from A&O complete a 70km, four-day and openly about their work. entertained a packed Saturday night an international five-a-side football trek across Jordan in nearly 40°C heat. “The refugee camps are far from crowd. Together with the orchestra tournament with 20 teams from across The team crossed the four biosphere the cities where they live, so each day and backstage crew of set builders, Europe competing. climates of Jordan’s largest nature they make a four-hour round trip to get costume makers, choreographers, stage In Hong Kong, people bid in a silent reserve and finished in the UNESCO to work. The stifling heat makes living managers and directors – in total 140 auction to see A&O partners running World Heritage Site of Petra, taking in and working in the camps difficult, and people – they raised GBP26,700 for a tea trolley service in fancy dress, some of the region’s most spectacular internet access is restricted to prevent War Child. and staffing the reception desk. More scenery along the way. extremism,” Louise explains. The production received rave than 70 people from A&O and client Madrid associate Louise Young “Refugees cannot legally work in reviews and was, as former A&O organisations also paired up with the went on the trek. “Like all of us, Jordan so once children turn 18, there’s Senior Partner Guy Beringer put it, Crossroads Foundation to organise a I had heard so much about the issue little for them to do. I asked if the refugees “an absolute triumph from beginning Refugee Run – a simulation designed of displaced people and wanted to had any hopes of ever going home. ‘That to end. I loved it”. to put participants in the shoes of a do something to raise money and is their dream,’ I was told.” awareness,” she says. “There were “I can’t say I found the walking incredible moments throughout the easy,” Louise reflects, “but it certainly trek. The scenery was beautiful and, makes you think about the kids that War camping in the desert, I saw so many Child works with, who would all have more stars than you ever see in the city. travelled considerably further without “The A&O and War Child team were the blister plasters and walking boots a truly great group and very diverse – we were lucky to have. They don’t do different nationalities, jobs, ages. They this out of choice, but out of necessity made the experience unfailingly upbeat to escape a war zone.” and the differences are pretty irrelevant when faced with a literal mountain Crisis of a generation to climb!” “There really has been an unprecedented In total, the trek raised more than response to the War Child partnership GBP75,000, both from the fundraising from our people,” says Andrew efforts of participants and a matched Ballheimer, “and with good reason. The donation of GBP20,000 from the Allen issue of displaced people is one of the

Right: The A&O Trek refugee. In total the events raised Jordan team. HKD163,500. In the U.S., our New York and Washington offices hosted a ‘Week of War Child’, raising nearly USD20,000 through cake sales, an office yard sale and silent auctions at office summer parties. Our Sydney office also sent eight “Within just five months of its keenest swimmers to take part in the Sydney Harbour Splash, a 1km of the partnership open-water swim in Sydney Harbour. The launching, we reached team braved cold water, marine life and a strong current to complete the race, our target of raising raising more than AUD2,000. Trainee GBP500,000 to fully Phoebe Miley-Dyer stormed home to take second place, with Banking lawyer fund the facility in Isabelle Whitehead finishing third in the Emirati Camp.” female division.

Above: Children at Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan.

46 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD RESCUING CHILDHOOD

hope for people in refugee camps to asylum applications, protecting human build a future for themselves and their rights for migrant and trafficked people, children. So desperate people look north and providing employability workshops to Europe and put their lives in the hands and access to education,” he says. of people smugglers and traffickers, with “Given the strength of people’s devastating consequences. response to our War Child partnership, “There are virtually no safe and we have extended our fundraising target legal routes for refugees to cross the to GBP1m. With one year to go, we’re Mediterranean, which is why we end up already at GBP715,000, so I’m confident with 2,000 people missing or dead trying we’ll reach our new target and be able to to make the crossing to Europe in 2017 provide even more support to War Child’s alone,” Gonzalo says. “The answer is to work with children affected by these increase the amount of aid and support terrible conflicts. worst humanitarian crises our generation 5.5 million people – escaping to we provide to hosting countries that “I was humbled by what I saw in has faced.” neighbouring countries. are struggling to cope with the volumes Jordan, but also inspired. The positivity In 2016 alone, more than 10 million “The majority of Syria’s displaced of refugees flooding in. We also need to and the spirit of the refugees we met people – nearly half of them under 18 – people are in Jordan, Lebanon and do far more to provide displaced people was remarkable. were forcibly displaced from their homes Turkey,” explains Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, with legal and safe avenues to resettle in “War Child is doing an excellent through persecution and conflict. The the UNHCR’s Representative to the UK. other countries.” job – their skill, professionalism UN’s Refugee Agency – UNHCR – puts “But these countries do not have the and deep knowledge of the issues the total number of displaced people in infrastructure or resources to cope with One year to go at play are impressive. Our support is the world at 65.6 million – its highest such huge numbers of people. And with Andrew agrees. “In addition to our efforts very much needed and appreciated, and level ever. Of the total, Syrians account no end in sight to the conflict in Syria – with War Child, we’ve provided around we hope it will have a lasting impact on for 11 million, half of them displaced which has now lasted longer than the 4,000 hours of pro bono support over the the futures of the children and families at inside their own country and half – some Second World War – there is very little past year to displaced people: preparing Emirati Camp.”

“In addition to our efforts with War Child, we’ve provided around 4,000 Top left: War Child country hours of pro bono support over the director Helen Barley with a facilitator at Za’atari Camp. past year to displaced people.” Left: A child at a Jordanian refugee camp. All photos (apart from page 44): War Child and James Marcus Haney.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 47 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

TECHNOLOGY Using technology to provide access to legal aid for victims of trafficking and labour exploitation.

Globalisation has created opportunities for people to live by victims of exploitation rarely covers the routes they and work almost anywhere in the world. With this comes travel. When they go home, access to compensation is access to cheap migration routes for low-skilled workers a world away.” to the labour markets of richer countries. In Asia alone, millions of people move to and from Support from technology Catherine Husted new countries every year, pursuing “better work for a Douglas set up JWB in 2014 to address this issue. The Consultant, Head of Pro Bono and Community better life”, as Douglas MacLean, Founder and Executive charity helps victims of human trafficking and labour Investment in Hong Kong Director of the charity Justice Without Borders (JWB), exploitation to seek compensation against their abusers. A&O: 1990-2012 puts it. In August 2016, the Allen & Overy Foundation Global “It’s amazing how quickly and efficiently people Grants Programme awarded JWB a GBP75,000 grant can be hired and placed practically anywhere – national over three years to support its work, in particular to build borders seem almost an afterthought now,” Douglas says. access to legal aid along the migration routes from the But while labour migration brings benefits to both Philippines and Indonesia to Hong Kong and Singapore. home and host countries, low-skilled migrant workers are Soon after, A&O’s Hong Kong, Singapore and Jakarta vulnerable to labour exploitation such as underpayment, offices began providing pro bono support to JWB as well. dangerous working conditions, confinement, forced Catherine Husted, former A&O partner and now labour and assault – as well as human trafficking. Head of Pro Bono and Community Investment in Hong “When things go wrong,” Douglas says, “national Kong, explains: “We offer all A&O’s global grants boundaries suddenly become very hard. Despite the recipients pro bono support alongside our financial growth in labour migration, the legal support needed contribution. One of the areas we’re focusing on with

48 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD TECHNOLOGY TAKES LEGAL AID GLOBAL

JWB is how video technology can provide access to awaiting trial, which means they’re forbidden to work. justice and could spell “the difference between access courts in Singapore and Hong Kong for workers who are It’s an impossible situation that prevents many from even to justice or ending up empty-handed for thousands pursuing claims once they’ve returned home.” attempting to seek legal aid.” of workers”. Michelle Yu, a JWB board member and Morgan Technology is supporting the outcome of Stanley’s Anti-Corruption Counsel for Asia, continues: Changing the justice landscape compensation claims in other ways, too. An important “Both Hong Kong and Singapore courts allow the use JWB has been researching these issues in Hong Kong and, message JWB promotes is the need to retain of video evidence and have even introduced dedicated in 2017, started a landmark action – the first request for a documentation. “Very often, workers sign contracts and Technology Courts equipped with video conferencing Technology Court at the Labour Tribunal – for a client who never see them again,” Michelle says. “So we encourage facilities that enable a person to speak remotely. In was forced suddenly to return to the Philippines without everyone to obtain a second smartphone with roaming magistrates’ and district courts, the lawyer still appears any way to continue her claim in person. data (to guard against employer theft), and to send in front of the court while the client gives testimony via A&O is now researching the same issues in photos of documents, via WhatsApp, to family members the video link. Singapore. “A number of challenges exist,” says back home.” “But most migrant domestic workers’ claims are Catherine, “not least that the Technology Court costs JWB’s work is expanding in Asia, building capacity heard in lower courts. The Labour Tribunal and Small SGD1,300 per day. The courts can also demand a to address potentially thousands more cases, as well Claims Tribunal also have the legal authority to hear specific type of video conferencing venue on the client’s as training partners on how their clients can access video evidence, but neither does. This is in stark contrast side (eg an arbitration centre), which adds extra expense. the Technology Courts. As Douglas says: “If exploitation to commercial cases, where the courts regularly use Foreign workers in Singapore are not guaranteed legal is global, than justice must be too. The culture of video links. aid, so we’re investigating whether there could be a impunity has been built over time, but bringing it down “The time and cost of travel make attending court public interest fee waiver or other way to get around the can happen faster.” very difficult – but staying in Hong Kong can be incredibly prohibitive costs.” hard too. Migrant workers need employment to maintain Michelle believes the impact of this technology residency or else must obtain a special pass while will fundamentally change the landscape of transnational TAKES LEGAL AID GLOBAL

Far left: Indonesian community leaders in Hong Kong learn how to identify potential civil claims for workers – and what to do when those workers return home.

Left: JWB Hong Kong staff help a client prepare for testimony in a successful claim against an employment agency that overcharged for many months of salary.

Justice Without Borders (JWB) is a registered US non-profit corporation, with a registered charitable affiliate in Hong Kong. JWB coordinates legal and paralegal aid that is provided by properly qualified local service providers in targeted home and host countries. JWB is not a law firm and thus does not provide any legal advice.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 49 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

ALUMNI

NETWORK

Alumni offices Job referrals Job vacancies

Alumni offices are available in Antwerp, Brussels, The A&O employee referral and Peerpoint legal Reaching more than 10,000 members globally, our Hong Kong and London for members who need consultant referral schemes are extended to our alumni. Careers Centre is a great way to promote your temporary office space. The library in London is also You could receive a financial reward for referring marketplace job vacancies or volunteering opportunities. open to alumni. successful candidates for career opportunities across A&O vacancies are also advertised online. our global network.

Mentoring Newsletters Profile opportunities

The A&O Mentoring Programme is open to all alumni Registered members receive a monthly newsletter We are looking for volunteers to be featured in the and current A&O partners and staff. You can join as a containing the latest A&O and alumni news. Alumni Yearbook and on the Alumni Network website mentor, mentee or both. The programme has more throughout 2018. If you would like to share your story, than 60 mentors globally across legal and professional or nominate a former colleague for a profile opportunity, support functions. please get in touch.

50 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD ALUMNI NETWORK BENEFITS

BENEFITS

A&O’s Alumni Network members have access to a wide range of benefits, services and discounts.

Full details can be found on the Alumni Network website at allenovery.com/alumni. Here’s a snapshot of what’s available:

Events Find friends Discounts

We host a variety of global networking events Search the online Member Directory for former Sign up to Xexec online discounts and lifestyle each year. colleagues. Find out where they are now and send management services and take advantage of a wide a message via the site to reconnect. Set up your own range of offers from retailers and providers, both online online community within the Alumni Network website, and in-store. Visit www.allenoveryalumni.xexec.com or making it even easier to keep in touch with your circle download the ‘Xexec Benefit’ app. of friends. Check out a range of discounts and services offered by alumni advertising their own businesses, or advertise your own business via the Alumni Network website.

Get exclusive discounts on a selection of books published by A&O authors. Performing arts Sports

We have many talented people amongst us, from Just because you’ve left A&O doesn’t mean you need to musicians and singers to actors and dancers. leave your A&O sports team. Alumni are still welcome to Alumni are invited to participate in each A&O take part in local activities. musical production.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 51 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

IN MEMORIAM

Allayne Roper Rosella Antonucci Claire Diss A&O: 1998-2011 A&O: 2004-2009 A&O: 2006-2017

Former Litigation PA Allayne Roper (née Griffiths) died in Rosella Antonucci, a former Banking senior associate in Claire Diss, a PA in the London Corporate department, November 2016 after a long struggle with cancer. A&O’s Rome office, died in November 2016. died in February. Allayne joined A&O’s London office in 1998 and Rosella spent almost five years with the firm, Claire had been a member of A&O for more than worked for a number of partners and associates in our leaving to join Legance – Avvocati Associati as a partner ten years, joining as a BD assistant in 2006, before Litigation practice over the years, most recently for in 2009. transitioning to a PA role in the Corporate BD team five Arbitration partner Mark Levy. Former colleagues paid tribute to Rosella. Cristiano years later. She was unable to return to work after her diagnosis in Tommasi said: “Rosella was a great lady and colleague. Corporate Group manager Debby Lancefield said: 2011, but remained in regular contact with her colleagues. She had a sense of humour and style which made time “Claire was a very popular member of the Corporate The courage with which she faced her illness drew shared with her in the office a pleasure. It was always department – and with good reason. She faced her battle widespread admiration. She created a website to tell her nice to meet her open, beautiful smile at the coffee with great dignity and determination, remaining hopeful story and to help others going through their own journey machine and take a break from working. We ended our throughout her treatment for a positive outcome. She with cancer – and to share her adventures living on a conversations laughing. She will be greatly missed.” will be greatly missed by all her colleagues and we shall boat with her husband, Paul. Michele Milanese added: “Rosella was a talented remember her with great fondness.” Mark said: “Allayne was a wonderful PA to me, and lawyer and a brilliant person who was respected by numerous others in the department, for many years. colleagues and peers and loved by her team. She will be Nothing was too much trouble for her and I feel blessed greatly missed by us all.” to have known and worked with such a loving and caring person. I am sure that her strength and determination will have been an inspiration to many.”

Read the personal tributes at allenovery.com/alumni

52 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD IN MEMORIAM

Peter Ellis Theo Savvides Rainer Evers A&O: 1971-2013 A&O: 1992-2002 A&O: 1999-2017

Peter Ellis, a former conflicts database supervisor in the Theo Savvides, a former associate in the London Rainer Evers, a member of A&O’s Litigation team in Business Acceptance Unit, died in August. He was 63. Litigation department, died in July following a cycling London, died in September. Peter worked at A&O for more than 40 years – a “truly accident in France. Rainer joined the firm as a trainee in 1999 and was remarkable achievement”, in the words of a colleague. Theo joined A&O as a trainee in 1992 and qualified an associate in the Litigation department in London for Just 17 when he joined A&O’s London office in 1971, in the Litigation department, working in the Intellectual many years. He recently transitioned to be a Peerpoint Peter worked in the Finance department as a database Property (IP) practice. consultant and had begun to combine his work at A&O supervisor. He transferred to the Business Acceptance He joined Bristows in 2013 from Osborne Clarke and with teaching law students at Pearson College, London. Unit to work as a conflicts database supervisor when the was made joint managing partner in 2016. Rainer was a huge character in the Litigation team department was set up in June 2003. He retired in 2013. Colleagues from Theo’s A&O days recall that they and will be deeply missed by all who worked with him or could never speak to ‘The O’ (as he was known to some) had the good fortune to know him. without there being a great deal of good humour and Colleagues paid tribute to Rainer for his legendary laughter in the conversation, no matter how difficult the brain power, independent spirit, huge kindness and legal problem at hand. One colleague said: “It is hard to the amazing patience which he showed to the many think of him without recalling his smile and infectious lawyers, of all seniorities, who would drop by his office laugh; he was such a kind man.” to benefit from his erudition. He must carry the trophy for the trainer who inspired the most trainees to become litigators. This was all in addition to continuing his long- Brian Wall standing and valuable support on pro bono work, A&O: 1989-2008 particularly for Battersea Law Centre where he was a regular advisor for more than 15 years and helped hundreds of people who had nowhere else to turn. His Brian Wall, an A&O employee for nearly 20 years, died in commitment to access to justice was immense. August at the age of 71. Litigation partner Jonathan Hitchin said: “This has He worked as a mail and logistics operator in the been a terrible shock for colleagues and clients who London office, and is remembered by former colleagues worked with Rainer. We’ll fondly remember him for his as a genuinely nice and talented guy. Wendy Ibbetson outstanding intellect, mischievous sense of humour and added: “Brian was a wonderful man and a true gent. He tuneful corridor singing. He was one of a kind.” was a cheeky chap, always smiling, a great storyteller, comedian and a real-life ‘sat nav’! He often talked about his family and his wife, Sue. He was very proud of them.”

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD 53 ALUMNI YEARBOOK 2017

INDEX

Ajitsaria, Shruti 11, 12, 13, 17 Harris, Oli 12 Perchik, Margaret 17 Allen, George 27 Hawthorne, Mike 33 Porus, Daniel 15 Annetts, Ian 23 Hazledine, Susan 33 Pultman, Jay 28, 29 Antonucci, Rosella 52 Herbert, Francis 37 Robson, Scott 28 Armsworth-Maw, David 27 Hitchin, Jonathan 53 Rogers, Helen 35 Arulchandran, Vic 14 House, Tim 27, 28, 29, 31 Roges, Patricia 40, 42, 43 Ballheimer, Andrew 4-9, 45-47 Howorth, David 14 Roper, Allayne (née Griffiths) 52 Barley, Helen 45, 47 Hunter, Robert 31 Salt, Julia 23, 25 Benzecrit, Eliot 14 Husted, Catherine 37, 48, 49 Samaha, John 28, 29 Berg, Ray 33 Ibbetson, Wendy 53 Satchwell, Richard 23 Beringer, Guy 35, 46 Jackson, Jonathan 17 Savvides, Theo 53 Bishop, Julie 37 Jacovides, Mario 23 Sehra, Avtar 14 Blythe, Michelle 35 Kerrigan, Robert 12 Shah, Veenay 22-25 Brammer, Andrew 39, 40, 41 Kirk, Josh 15 Sharman, Emma 33 Brayne, Jonathan 11, 12, 16, 17 Lancefield, Debby 52 Shaw, Emma 35 Buckley, Kate 31 Levy, Mark 52 Silver, Abi 30-33 Campbell, David 12, 37 Lone, Mahmood 1 Silver, Dan 31, 33 Campbell, Emma 33 Mackie, David 27, 31, 35, 37 Smith, Phil 12 Chamay, Marc-Henri 23, 25 MacLean, Douglas 48, 49 Smith-Bernal, Graham 15 Chandran, Shankari 30, 34-37 Mangunsong, Nathaniel 18-21 Soelistyo, Andre 19 Charles, Sir John 27 Martin, William 27 Susskind, Richard 12 Chatreau, Yann 28 May, Joe 15 Tommasi, Cristiano 52 Dejonghe, Wim 4-9, 12, 17, 39 Mencacci, Davide 23 Totty, Peter 31 Denyer, Stephen 35 Milanese, Michele 52 Townsend, Jane 40, 41 Dibble, Mark 23, 25 Miley-Dyer, Phoebe 46 Van Der Velden, Brechje 27, 28, 29 Dickinson, Matthew 15 Morley, David 23, 25, 35 Vargas Llosa, Gonzalo 47 Diss, Claire 52 Mulley, Lisa 32 Wall, Brian 53 Drummer, Daniel 17 Myers, Sam 12 Watson, Davina 35 Ellis, Peter 53 Myers, Sidney 31 Watson, Peter 31 Evers, Rainer 53 Neicho, Vince 28 Wells, Boyan 1 Feldberg, Michael 28, 29 New, John 27 Whitehead, Isabelle 46 Florendine, Robert 15 Nightingale, Bob 37 Wipperman, Terri 35 Fox, Ben 25 Noble, Julia 33 Wisbey, Sue 35 Georgiou, Chris 33 O’Keeffe, Mike 14 Wong, Alex 12 Gibson, Jane 33 Oliver, Kevin 43 Wootton, David 31 Gibson, Toby 33 Page, Joanna 31 Young, Louise 45, 46 Gilkes, Emma 33 Paines, Anthony 27 Yu, Michelle 49 Gill, Judith 31 Patel, Ajay 23 Zekaria, Louise 35 Ginting, Daniel 19 Pearson, Colin 35 Zhu, Yinan 17

54 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: STAYING AHEAD INDEX/CREDITS

CREDITS

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